Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah has been criticised for one thing he simply ‘doesn’t want to do’.
It’s been a disappointing season for Sunderland so far, and maybe only a few have been more disappointing than Ekwah.
The Frenchman lit up the Championship with some of his performances in the second half of last season and set himself a very high standard for this campaign.
And whilst he’s not been poor so to say, he’s certainly not lived up to expectations, with EFL pundit Ryan Dilks labelling Ekwah as the Championship’s most disappointing player for 2023/24.
So far this season, the 22-year-old Ekwah has featured 32 times in the Championship, with four goals and two assists his name.
Michael Graham critical of Pierre Ekwah at Sunderland
Ekwah can be a very frustrating player to watch.
One thing people will largely agree on is that he’s got bags of technical quality; Ekwah has the ability to pick up the ball anywhere on the itch and beat his man, shrugging off opposition players with his control and stature, and this season finding his scoring touch.
But arguably his biggest criticism is his work-rate off the ball.
Ekwah doesn’t put in the yards that a midfielder in the Championship needs to, and this is something journalist Michael Graham has pointed out.
He posted on X:
Pierre Ekwah defensive stats
Ekwah’s ability going forward in possession is there for all to see then, but his stats in terms of defending paint a different picture about his work-rate off the ball.
As per Sofascore, Ekwah averages just 0.5 possession won per game, 0.8 interceptions, and 1.3 tackles per game.
A player with Ekwah’s speed and strength could be a real dominant force in the midfield, though his stats suggest that he’s very much average in terms of his defensive game.
A tricky one for Mike Dodds to manage
Usually, if a player isn’t putting in the work off the ball then he’s dropped.
But Mike Dodds‘ midfield options are extremely limited and so it’s almost impossible to drop Ekwah right now.
And it’s even more difficult to drop him knowing that he’s a player who can provide a real spark when he’s on the ball.
The penny might soon drop for Ekwah and like Graham says, he could become a world-beater.
But something needs to click for him to start really putting in the yards; when that comes, every aspect of his game could improve and he’ll rapidly show everyone why he’s so highly thought of by so many.
This season may be a write-off for Ekwah and many of his teammates, and if Sunderland can bring in some midfield competition for Ekwah this summer then it could really help improve his work rate.