Blackburn Rovers may hope departing Reading FC man does not repeat Ipswich Town player’s success: View
Blackburn Rovers narrowly missed out on the play-offs despite fine margins and George Hirst’s disappointing loan spell.
George Hirst struggled at Ewood Park but found success at Ipswich Town, highlighting what Blackburn missed out on.
Clinton Mola also failed to impress at Blackburn, raising concerns about missed opportunities with loaned players.
The 2022/23 season came to an end in somewhat agonising circumstances for those connected with Blackburn Rovers.
Having spent the campaign battling for a place in the Championship play-offs, the Ewood Park club would come up just short.
Despite a 4-3 win away at Millwall, Rovers were denied a top six spot on the final day of the season, with goal difference forcing them to settle for a seventh place finish.
That highlighted the fine margins on which the season had been decided for Blackburn, and perhaps one player who best exemplified that, was George Hirst.
Things did not work out for George Hirst at Ewood Park
Going into the 2022 summer transfer window still needing to replace Adam Armstrong after his departure 12 months earlier, Blackburn seemed to have got their man with the signing of Hirst.
The striker joined Rovers on a season-long loan from Leicester City, that included the option to buy, following an impressive spell in League One with Portsmouth the season before.
However, Hirst would never settle at Ewood Park, and failed to score in 11 appearances in all competitions for Blackburn, before being recalled in January and loaned to Ipswich Town.
Perhaps his most significant moment in a Rovers shirt was a stoppage time penalty miss in a 1-0 defeat away at Cardiff City.
Given the way the table eventually finished, that point he could’ve earned the club had he converted his spot kick, may have made all the difference to their hopes of claiming a play-off place.
The way that things have gone for Hirst since he left the club may only add insult to injury for Blackburn.
After moving to Ipswich, Hirst helped the club win promotion from League One in the second half of last season, before making his move to Portman Road permanent in the summer of 2023.
The striker then went onto score some more vital goals for Ipswich, as they secured a stunning second straight promotion this season, to complete their return to the Premier League.
