TRENDING NEWS: Sunderland player labelled ‘most disappointing’ Championship player this season

This pundit’s pick for the “most disappointing” Championship player of the 2023–2024 campaign thus far is a Sunderland player.

Sunderland’s season has started off uneventfully.

As a result of their thrilling top-six result from the previous campaign, the Black Cats had high anticipation that they would secure a play-off spot again.

However, Sunderland’s season has been volatile; with 12 games left, they are now eight points outside of the top six in the table in 10th position.

In what may have been a disastrous decision, the Sunderland owners fired Tony Mowbray. Michael Beale took his place, however he was fired after just 12 games. Mike Dodds is now in command of the team until the summer.

The Championship’s “most disappointing” player is Pierre Ekwah.
Additionally, Sunderland midfielder Pierre Ekwah has been named the Championship’s “most disappointing” player thus far in the 2023–24 season despite what is turning out to be a poor campaign.

When discussing who has been the “most disappointing player this season,” commentator Ryan Dilks made the following statement on The Second Tier podcast:

“Pierre Ekwah at Sunderland, in my opinion, stood out from the others. I’m basing that on his performance for Sunderland in the second half of the previous season; he was outstanding for them in the middle of the park.

Dilks went on:

However, he hasn’t been the same player this season. I believe he got off to a decent start. I recall that during Southampton’s demolition job, he scored those two goals from distance. However, I believe he suffered an injury, and ever since then, his form has declined. I had a strong suspicion that he would utilize the previous campaign as a kind of springboard to succeed and lead Sunderland this year.

Finally, he said:

“Despite some of the players who have dropped out of the Premier League, he [Ekwah] could have really been the best midfielder in the Championship this season.” He’s not that good, but he could have been. He hasn’t been very good with the ball, giving it away, or simply losing possession of it frequently.

Excessive hopes not fulfilled, yet an unjust evaluation
The consensus is that Ekwah has not yet reached the heights of the previous season.

The Frenchman began to truly demonstrate his class shortly after joining from West Ham in January of last year. He quickly established himself as a vital member of the starting lineup and won over many fans.

The 22-year-old can win duels, dribble, pass, and do it all in midfield when he’s at his best. In 28 league games this season, he’s also proved that he can score goals.

However, there have undoubtedly been periods of inconsistency.

Ekwah’s performances in the first part of the season left Sunderland supporters furious, as the Frenchman frequently displayed clumsiness and was careless with the ball.

Although this season appears to be more of a transitional one for the player—it’s easy to forget that this is his first full season playing senior football—EKwah showed indications of growth under Beale.

Even still, Dilks’ remarks might not be entirely fair.

In their second season back in the Championship, Sunderland still appears to be on track to finish in the top half.

Ekwah will also benefit from his newfound scoring touch since he has gathered a lot of experience from this campaign that will serve him well in the future.

Hopefully, Ekwah will improve his consistency in the upcoming season and demonstrate to the world why Premier League clubs are interested in him.