While many of Sheffield Wednesday’s squad have had a great start to the Championship season, one star is performing well below expectations.
As the 2024/25 Championship season now starts to gain momentum, the Owls find themselves in a strong position.
Danny Rohl’s side are 13th in the second tier and only four points off the playoffs.
In addition to their league form, Wednesday also earned praise recently for taking Premier League outfit Brentford to penalties in the Carabao Cup.
Many of Rohl’s summer signings have helped contribute to this rise, with Yan Valery in particular impressing.
However, one star who has failed to impress is Ike Ugbo, who has now been ranked as the Championship’s second-worst player due to his performances.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Ike Ugbo ranked as Championship’s second-worst player
Ugbo was a highly important player for the Owls last season. The Canadian joined Wednesday on loan in January 2024 and netted 7 goals in 18 games as the club staved off relegation.
As a result, Rohl brought Ugbo in on a permanent deal in August, however, he has yet to return to his previous form.
After 11 Championship appearances, he hasn’t found the net, with many performances being sub-par.
Ugbo’s performance against West Brom last month was particularly poor as he only made 12 touches.
Now, after a series of appearances, WhoScored has given the forward a 6.02 average rating, the second-worst rating in the division.
A collection of statistics has led to this including his 0.2 key passes and dribbles per game as well as 0.3 shots a game on average.
Ike Ugbo needs to rediscover his old form
It has no doubt been a tough few months for the Canadian. His only goal to date came in the Carabao Cup against Grimbsy.
On Tuesday, his performance against Brentford was solid before he was subbed off in the 68th minute.
A goal could well do Ugbo the world of good and help snowball the form of the attacker as the all-important Christmas period approaches.
Hopefully, over the coming weeks, the 26-year-old will prove to Rohl that he is still the player he was six months ago.