January could spell the end for Plymouth Argyle's 64-goal striker | OneFootball

Ryan Hardie's struggles in front of goal have continued this season, with the Greens calling out for extra fire power up top

Ryan Hardie has given Plymouth Argyle fans plenty of fine memories during his time as a Pilgrim, with the Scot one of the main reasons the Greens find themselves competing in the second tier at this moment in time.

Initially joining the club when they were fighting for promotion in League Two, the former Blackpool man has netted 64 times for Argyle in the five years he has been associated with the club, with two loan spells turning into a permanent deal in 2021.

Three successive seasons reaching double figures in terms of goals scored tells its own story in terms of his time in green, but that potency in front of goal has severely dried up of late.

With just one goal from the penalty spot this season, the ex-Rangers player is struggling to rediscover that sort of form that had him tipped for an international call up not too long ago, and his future must be in doubt as the January transfer window approaches.

Ryan Hardie’s Plymouth Argyle form drops off a cliff

Although he is currently out of action due to a groin injury, Hardie has found his place as a regular starter fade away fade away over recent weeks, with just eight starts this season proving where he currently stands within Wayne Rooney’s thinking ay Home Park.

While he will work himself into the ground with is boundless energy and willingness to chase down lost causes, the 27-year-old has been in something of a malaise for almost a year now, and Argyle have suffered as a result.

With the likes of Michael Obafemi and Andre Gray coming into the squad and giving him a run for his money in terms of vying for a starting spot, Hardie’s lack of confidence in front of goal has been evident, with just a single spot-kick against Sunderland earlier in the campaign all he has to show for his efforts in the Championship.

In fact, you have go all the way back to February for the last time the Scot found the back of the net from open play in the league, as he grabbed the second in a 2-0 win at Middlesbrough, before the goals dried up for the rest of the campaign, with the Greens fighting for their lives at the bottom of the second tier.

What didn’t help at the time was the Pilgrims’ lack of depth up top, which meant that Hardie - a man obviously struggling with the workload given to him - was given the task of leading the line week after week, at a time when fresh legs were needed to give the attack more impetus.

That run of form in front of goal has only continued into the current campaign, and hasn’t been helped by an incoherent forward line at times under Rooney’s stewardship, which has seen attacking moves falter time and time again.

But in Obafemi and Gray, Argyle have two players who have experience in the top two tiers of the English game, and that quality has been evident with match-defining goals over the past weeks and months, with the latter earning his side a point with an eye-catching brace against Watford last weekend.

Plymouth Argyle may well look for a Ryan Hardie upgrade in January

Opposed to that, Hardie looks a shadow of the player that netted 12 times in the league last season, and 41 times over the last three campaigns, with his influence on Championship matches waning with each passing week.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, Argyle may be tempted to look for further additions in the forward area, with a lot likely to hinge on Gray’s decision around his future at the club.

The 33-year-old only signed a short-term deal in October that will last until the new year, and there will be plenty of clamour to extend the ex-Luton Town man’s time at Home Park, given the latest demonstrations of his prowess in front of goal.

If he does commit his future to the Greens, Hardie could well find himself struggling for game time for the rest of the campaign, with Rooney seeming to prefer the former Premier League striker of late.

18 months on from promotion from League One, Argyle still haven’t fully transitioned their squad into one capable of competing at Championship level, with too much trust put in some of those who got them to that level, with the faith put in a misfiring Hardie one of the prime examples.

With that in mind, the start of 2025 could well be the best time to offload the Scot, with his goalscoring instinct deserting him of late, although that will depend on whether the club could find an adequate replacement.

There have been links to Liverpool’s Jayden Danns in the past, and the young striker could well provide the energy and dynamism that has been missing in the final third of late, with the teenager likely to want to prove himself if given the opportunity.

With 18 months left on his current deal, the decision about the Scot may well be left until the summer, when Argyle will know what division they find themselves in for the upcoming season, but after months without finding the back of the net, they will be wanting to see more from Hardie on his return from injury than has been evident this season.