Ipswich Town: "It's definitely time" for Kieran McKenna to axe ever-present player ahead of Charlton Athletic | OneFootball

George Hirst was the subject of criticism for his performance at the Riverside Stadium on Friday

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Ipswich Town's inconsistent return to the Championship continued on Friday night, with the newly-relegated side succumbing to a 2-1 defeat against high-flying Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.

The Tractor Boys had, in previous outings, begun to prove exactly why they were - and still are - many punters' expected Championship title favourites, with Kieran McKenna having a ridiculous amount of strength-in-depth at his disposal despite overseeing a major squad rebuild after being relegated from the Premier League.

However, their five-game unbeaten streak was dramatically ground to a halt on the banks of the Tees, with an energetic home side and support putting their first league defeat under Rob Edwards behind them through a Cedric Kipre own-goal and Morgan Whittaker's first strike since joining Middlesbrough from Plymouth Argyle nine months ago.

Dara O'Shea offered a glimmer of hope for the visitors with a smart header 14 minutes from time. However, it's fair to say that what was a frantic, 'basketball'-style encounter in the North East certainly changed when George Hirst saw his 41st-minute penalty turned behind by Boro goalkeeper, Sol Brynn.

Despite a plethora of changes to Ipswich's squad and attacking options in the summer, the 26-year-old has remained a constant link between the club's League One days, their solitary campaign in the Premier League and the current squad.

However, after a slight dip in form, which culminated in a below-par performance at the Riverside, Football League World's Ipswich Town fan pundit, Adam Wilkin, believes it's time for McKenna to take Hirst out of the firing line ahead of Tuesday's clash with an in-form Charlton Athletic side at Portman Road.

Kieran McKenna urged to make big George Hirst selection call ahead of Charlton Athletic clash

Hirst has found the net on three occasions so far for Town, with the first of those also coming from the spot in controversial fashion against Birmingham City in the second tier's 'curtain-raiser' on August 8th.

Yet, on top of his saved spot-kick, the Sheffield-born forward was unable to grow into the game and help his side address what was a lacklustre performance, particularly in a defensive sense.

As a result, he was replaced by summer recruit, Ivan Azon, who joined from Serie A side, Como, after reported interest in his services had dragged on at length throughout the transfer window.

The Spaniard has only made one start for the Tractor Boys since his temporary switch across Europe. However, with a three-game week in mind, on top of Hirst's underwhelming last three performances, Wilkin believes McKenna should make another straight-swap with the duo, only this time right from the start of the encounter with the Addicks.

"I think now is the perfect time to drop George Hirst from the starting lineup," Adam told FLW.

"I think, with the penalty miss, he's missing too many big chances and not taking enough opportunities.

"With three games from Friday until next Saturday, Tuesday's game against Charlton seems the most logical game to drop him," Wilkin explained.

"I imagine it would be Ivan Azon who comes in. He's looked impressive in his appearances off the bench, and he had one start against Bristol City in which he looked good. He'd be the man I'd pick to replace Hirst.

"I think he's got better hold-up play than Hirst, and he looks to be more of a natural finisher even though he hasn't scored - he's hit the post a couple of times.

"He'd be the pick, and I think it's definitely time for Hirst to, at the very least, to be rested. But, if Azon does well, he should keep his place," Wilkin added.

Ipswich Town need an immediate reaction against Charlton Athletic

McKenna, his players and supporters will hope that Friday night's performance against Middlesbrough is the last they see of an inconsistent nature for some time, with there still being 36 matches left in the season to turn the tide.

The likes of Jaden Philogene, Hirst, Sammie Szmodics and Sindre Walle Egeli were unable to impact the game in the same way that had been shown in the prior unbeaten run. However, it's well-documented what Ipswich's attack can do to any side when fully firing.

As Wilkin alluded to, a three-game week is often seen as a chance to rotate due to limited recovery time inbetween games, meaning it isn't beyond the realms of possibility that Azon is handed a first start at Portman Road.

Charlton have been a tough nut to crack for many sides, and the Spaniard's hold-up play, as well as his powerful nature and chance-creating ability could be a vital asset in Town returning to winning ways and edging back towards the upper echelons of the table.