Sunderland loanee answers critics after being branded 'monotone' and 'inconsistent' by French press
The Sunderland loanee answered his critics with a goal after receiving stick from the media in France
Sunderland loanee Pierre Ekwah netted his first goal for St Etienne after receiving stinging criticism from the French press recently.
The midfielder left the Stadium of Light to sign for the Ligue 1 outfit on a temporary basis during the summer transfer window but has found himself embroiled in a relegation battle in his home country, with his new club currently languishing near the bottom of the table
Ekwah has registered 19 league appearances for Saint Etienne so far this term and has regularly been deployed as a deep-lying presence in the heart of midfield. During the January transfer window, however, the French side moved to bring in Maxime Bernauer on loan from Dinamo Zagreb, and while the 26-year-old usually operates as a centre-back or a full-back, he is also capable of playing just in front of a back four.
After the arrival of Bernauer, journalist Laurent Hess called for him to replace Ekwah in Saint Etienne’s starting XI. However, the Sunderland loanee answered his critics over the weekend by scoring his first goal for the cub during a 3-3 draw with Angers in Ligue 1 on Saturday.
Writing for But! Football Club, Hess said: “Personally, I am campaigning for [Saint Etienne boss Eirik] Horneland to include him as number 6, in front of the defence. In this key position, I have trouble understanding how Pierre Ekwah can start from start to finish without any questioning, when the team is not rotating, it is conceding a lot of goals, and the performances of the player on loan from Sunderland are often disappointing.
“I find that Ekwah lacks consistency, speed, and that he is ‘monotone’ in what he does, always at the same pace. Bernauer could be an alternative in this role, with his quality of recovery and his size. This is where he would have the most impact, I think, and it would have the merit of redistributing certain cards."
The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.
Sunderland reportedly make Pierre Ekwah transfer decision
It has been claimed that Sunderland have “no plans” to reintegrate midfielder Pierre Ekwah back into their first-team next season.
The French midfielder left the Stadium of Light in a deadline day loan deal last summer and has since established himself as a regular fixture of his new club’s starting line-up. The 23-year-old has played regularly for St Etienne since making the switch.
St Etienne have the option to make the deal permanent next summer for a fee reported in the French media to be in the region of £6million, while The Echo understands there is also a seven-figure loan fee attached to the deal. However, a fresh report has now claimed that the Black Cats do not see a future for the former West Ham man irrespective of whether they win promotion to the Premier League or not at the end of the season.