What's up with Boyle?

[Greenio]

How can a player go from brilliant performances, aus national team, celebrations n new contract... to sub standard week in week out?

Has the servic dropped that much? Has he lost confidence? Bad management

It has to be something, but I've no idea why it's turned this way.

[04Sauzee]

No idea, he's been very frustrating, wish he would learn to use his left foot, you know once he starts coming in-field how it's going to end.

[MWHIBBIES]

He's always been like this. This shouldn't come as a surprise imo. I've said this is his level for a while now. Brilliant on his day but an inconsistent player. Overall he's been decent this season. Good return of goals and assists overall.

[B.H.F.C]

I don’t think Boyle has been that bad. Chipped in with a pretty decent number of goals and assists.

For me, the biggest issue with Boyle is that we’re far too reliant on him. Our midfield offer little to nothing in the final third of the pitch. Our other wide options are Wright (enough said) and Murphy who has been missing far too often.

In the last two disasters, he’s had three men round him as soon as he gets the ball. Stop him and you stop Hibs going forward.

[Blaster]

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I don’t think Boyle has been that bad. Chipped in with a pretty decent number of goals and assists.

For me, the biggest issue with Boyle is that we’re far too reliant on him. Our midfield offer little to nothing in the final third of the pitch. Our other wide options are Wright (enough said) and Murphy who has been missing far too often.

In the last two disasters, he’s had three men round him as soon as he gets the ball. Stop him and you stop Hibs going forward.

Spot on. Boyle is the least of our worries

[superfurryhibby]

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He's always been like this. This shouldn't come as a surprise imo. I've said this is his level for a while now. Brilliant on his day but an inconsistent player. Overall he's been decent this season. Good return of goals and assists overall.

Agree with this. Boyle is capable of looking outstanding, but never consistently. His recent form isn’t really all that different from his overall form at Hibs. Most Hibs fans understand this and recognise that is why he still plays for us.

Next.

[J-C]

He's double/triple marked most games because we have zero options elsewhere on the pitch, it's no coincidence that when Murphy was wide left and the midfield did their jobs, Boyle was creative and doing well. If you have no threat from midfield and no one on the left they can gang up on Boyle and nullify him.

[Dr Jimmy]

He is clearly targeted by the opposition. They rotate kicking, tripping him in the same way teams would with SJM as soon as he broke away.

[Alfred E Newman]

He looked good at Ibrox when he played up front with Nisbet. When we play 4-4-2 our painfully slow play from the back makes it easy for opposing teams to double up and snuff out the wide players.

[basehibby]

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How can a player go from brilliant performances, aus national team, celebrations n new contract... to sub standard week in week out?

Has the servic dropped that much? Has he lost confidence? Bad management

It has to be something, but I've no idea why it's turned this way.

He's not though - it's a figment of your imagination.
Like most good players Boyle is capable of moments of brilliance but is neither physically capable nor permitted by opposing players of turning that on for 90 mins every game.
The last couple of games he has also been playing in an underperforming team and therefore has had less opportunity still to turn it on.

[Booked4Being-Ugly]

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I don’t think Boyle has been that bad. Chipped in with a pretty decent number of goals and assists.

For me, the biggest issue with Boyle is that we’re far too reliant on him. Our midfield offer little to nothing in the final third of the pitch. Our other wide options are Wright (enough said) and Murphy who has been missing far too often.

In the last two disasters, he’s had three men round him as soon as he gets the ball. Stop him and you stop Hibs going forward.

Correct, it’s the only tangible threat we have. There’s nothing down the left with the exception of cameos from Doig and even less from McGennis, Murphy, Wright or Gullan.

In fact we need a left winger in this transfer window as we can’t rely on Murphy as he’s been extremely poor value for money!

There’s nothing coming through the middle now either.

[Numptie]

Theoretically, with Gogic on the pitch the full backs bomb forward and Boyle can go up the wing or in the park, giving options. Not sure we have the full backs to do this- that's modern footie for you.

[loanheadhibby]

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Theoretically, with Gogic on the pitch the full backs bomb forward and Boyle can go up the wing or in the park, giving options. Not sure we have the full backs to do this- that's modern footie for you.

I’ve got a bit of sympathy with Boyle. When is someone on the left going to create chances? What about some of our midfielders chipping in with goals and assists. If others got there finger out, we’d not be so reliant on Boyle.

I agree that Boyle is at his level however, I dare say if he was playing with better players, he might produce a bit more.

[Steve88]

Boyle needs a playmaker to play that midflield/defence splitting ball ball as he straddles the offside line - this is what Stubs nailed with him by utilising McGinn/Allan..

But even with Allan/Mallan (newell perhaps) JR still doesn't seem to be able to achieve this.. he tends to sit deeper allowing opp players to double team him, or for boyle to run from one side of the pitch to the other...

[ekhibee]

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He's always been like this. This shouldn't come as a surprise imo. I've said this is his level for a while now. Brilliant on his day but an inconsistent player. Overall he's been decent this season. Good return of goals and assists overall.

I think that's a pretty accurate assessment TBH. He's alright at this level, sometimes his speed makes him look a bit better than he actually is, but he's not a bad player. We do get a decent return in terms of goals from him, but I wouldn't want to rely on him as much as we sometimes do, he's not good enough to carry the team, he's not a Griffiths for example. But he's still a decent player.

[Since452]

It's not really a surprise. He's been hit and miss most of his time here. He was toiling badly at Hibs round about his first Australia call up. He's capable of good performances and poor ones equally.

[Since452]

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He's always been like this. This shouldn't come as a surprise imo. I've said this is his level for a while now. Brilliant on his day but an inconsistent player. Overall he's been decent this season. Good return of goals and assists overall.

Yup

[Hermit Crab]

He's one of the fastest players in the league but he can barely beat a man with the ball at his feet.

[Peevemor]

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He's one of the fastest players in the league but he can barely beat a man with the ball at his feet.

Sometimes he does it fine.

These past couple of results seem to suit you down to the ground. I don't think I've ever seen you so present across so many threads.

[Onion]

Too much pressure on Boyler. Yesterday he had 3 Livi players swarming him every time the ball went near him, usually resulting in them taking turns in hacking him down. It should have freed up other Hibs players to do some damage, but nope they were in hiding.

He's the only Hibs player with any spark and drive at the moment. If he's not playing well, there no one else in the Hibs team capable of stepping up. We've got NO threat on the left hand side, unless Murphy is playing. Nisbet and Doidge have been terrible, midfield AWOL and defence full of quivering snowflakes.

No surprise the slackers have dragged down the better players ?

[Key West]

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He's double/triple marked most games because we have zero options elsewhere on the pitch, it's no coincidence that when Murphy was wide left and the midfield did their jobs, Boyle was creative and doing well. If you have no threat from midfield and no one on the left they can gang up on Boyle and nullify him.

Exactly.

[The Harp Awakes]

I'd be surprised if the stats don't show Boyle is the most fouled against player in the SPFL by some distance.

Can't be easy getting kicked up and down the park all game and getting very little protection from the refs. With Murphy so injury prone, take Boyle out of the team and our ability to create chances drops to around zero, which is the biggest concern we have right now IMO.

[silverhibee]

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He's always been like this. This shouldn't come as a surprise imo. I've said this is his level for a while now. Brilliant on his day but an inconsistent player. Overall he's been decent this season. Good return of goals and assists overall.

How I see it as well.

He could do with practicing his shooting as well through the week, it does pay off.

[Percy Vere]

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No idea, he's been very frustrating, wish he would learn to use his left foot, you know once he starts coming in-field how it's going to end.

He’s being identified as Hibs main threat so often being matched up with two against him. Nullifying his threat. As the rest of the team seem incapable of raising their game it means we are toothless at times.
I agree he’s frustrating but he’s not getting the support he needs.

[Percy Vere]

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Too much pressure on Boyler. Yesterday he had 3 Livi players swarming him every time the ball went near him, usually resulting in them taking turns in hacking him down. It should have freed up other Hibs players to do some damage, but nope they were in hiding.

He's the only Hibs player with any spark and drive at the moment. If he's not playing well, there no one else in the Hibs team capable of stepping up. We've got NO threat on the left hand side, unless Murphy is playing. Nisbet and Doidge have been terrible, midfield AWOL and defence full of quivering snowflakes.

No surprise the slackers have dragged down the better players ?

Bang on. Stop Boyle you stop Hibs as things stand.
We need a midfield that can take advantage of the space marking Boyle should be affording Hibs. But we aren’t. We need Murphy, Magennis and Alan to be fit and playing. Could be quite a different team.

[Percy Vere]

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No idea, he's been very frustrating, wish he would learn to use his left foot, you know once he starts coming in-field how it's going to end.

He’s being identified as Hibs main threat so often being matched up with two against him. Nullifying his threat. As the rest of the team seem incapable of raising their game it means we are toothless at times.
I agree he’s frustrating but he’s not getting the support he needs.

[Shrekko]

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Bang on. Stop Boyle you stop Hibs as things stand.
We need a midfield that can take advantage of the space marking Boyle should be affording Hibs. But we aren’t. We need Murphy, Magennis and Alan to be fit and playing. Could be quite a different team.

Exactly - Boyles form isn’t the problem and I’d totally dispute that he hasn’t done very well for us this season in any case.

I dread to think what we’d be like without him!

[1620]

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Too much pressure on Boyler. Yesterday he had 3 Livi players swarming him every time the ball went near him, usually resulting in them taking turns in hacking him down. It should have freed up other Hibs players to do some damage, but nope they were in hiding.

He's the only Hibs player with any spark and drive at the moment. If he's not playing well, there no one else in the Hibs team capable of stepping up. We've got NO threat on the left hand side, unless Murphy is playing. Nisbet and Doidge have been terrible, midfield AWOL and defence full of quivering snowflakes.

No surprise the slackers have dragged down the better players ?

A good assessment of the last two games. However just a week ago I was sitting here pleased with the team’s performance at Ibrox (if disappointed with the result). In that game we did have a threat down the left hand side in young Doig in his role as a wing back and Boyle was a threat playing alongside Nisbet. Our manager then decides for the next two games to change the team shape and personnel. Why?

[Pretty Boy]

I think he may be struggling for confidence a bit. Not something I imagined writing about him.

There was a point yesterday that saw him beat his man and rather than drive into the box and cut it back in a similar way to the RC player in midweek for Shaw's goal, he stopped and hit a weak cross from a couple of yards in from the touchline that was easily defended.

It can't be easy for him as teams double op on him every week. The sooner Murphy is back to add a bit of threat down the left and balance us out a bit the better.

[Coco Bryce]

He's just not as good as he thinks he is.

Probably why even a good spell last season, still nobody came in for him in the transfer window.