Ethan Ampadu has had a rocky 18 months, but there’s a slight sense he’s turning a corner now.
His loan to RB Leipzig last season was so promising – we were sure he’d force his way into their team and get some top level experience.
Sadly it didn’t work out that way, and he barely played at all.
This season we had to get his destination right, and Sheffield United seemed a wise pick again. He could learn a lot about defending there, and hopefully play in a competent team.
An assured display at the back. 🏴
Your Man of the Match against Newcastle, Ethan Ampadu. 👏 pic.twitter.com/abykjcyJWI
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) January 12, 2021
Again, it’s not worked out as we’d hoped. The Blades have been awful, and Ampadu has played badly when he’s played at all.
Last night, however, they got their first win of the season, and Ampadu was named man of the match after marshalling their back line to a vital clean sheet against Newcastle.
His stats show just how impressive he was:
Ethan Ampadu tonight. 👏
6 aerials won. 💥
11 duels won. 👊
75 passes. 2 key. 85% accuracy. 🎯
7 accurate long balls. 🎯
3 tackles won. 💪 pic.twitter.com/bFPhF9sQ1I— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) January 12, 2021
Let’s hope that that performance, and that win, mean Chris Wilder will have a little more faith in the Welshman going forward. There’s still plenty of this season left for him to make it a big success.
