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Hiroshi Morita is not what you could call a fan favourite. On the contrary, Ardija fans have good reason to deride him as "a genuine candidate for Ripley's believe it or not -- anyone who watches his performances will find it a true mystery that he manages to make a living as a professional footballer." Indeed, some fans have dubbed the lumbering, craggy-faced Morita "Frankenstriker" -- no doubt for his looks. It certainly isnt because he strikes fear into the hearts of the opposition. Morita's only saving grace is his height and sturdy frame, which enables him to win the occasional header and to be a nuisance to the opposing defence. However he is also viewed as a nuisance by many Squirrels supporters, who find his lack of speed, skill and awareness to be alternately amusing and upsetting. He does work hard when he is on the pitch, and it is hard to deny his effort. However, his goalscoring record is not particularly impressive. Though he once scored 14 goals in a season, for Sagan Tosu, he has not shown that sort of knack for finding the net against J1 opposition. But even those who do not particularly like The Frankenstriker, that his physical presence -- like another very similar player, Takayuki Suzuki -- can indeed be useful in specific situations. Essentially he has assumed the role of "designated offensive thug", coming on late in matches to try to annoy the opposing defenders enough to keep them from contributing to the attack.
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