Following the beginning of preseason, here’s a look at each side’s player with the lowest average rating during the last season. For context, each player begins on a 6/10 rating and it increases through positive contributions to the game, as well as decreasing through errors.
All ratings have been taken from the website “Sofascore” and each player on this list made at least 10 appearances during the 2024/25 season.
Blackburn Rovers – Adam Forshaw: 6.39/10
Blackburn’s lowest performing player was centre-midfielder Adam Forshaw who joined in January from Plymouth Argyle, making 17 Championship appearances last term for Blackburn.
Forshaw’s defensive stats were significantly lower than average in comparison to others in the Championship, as well as limited final third impact during his appearances in the central midfield role.
A key weakness picked up on was his stamina and mobility, as throughout he looked off pace for the intensity needed for the Championship throughout the campaign, regularly being outmuscled and struggling to complete full 90-minute performances.
Bristol City – Sinclair Armstrong: 6.67/10
Armstrong failed to live up to his £2,5000,000 price tag, scoring only just 3 goals in 38 appearances, picking up zero assists, as he slowly slipped out of favour at The Robins behind Nakhi Wells.
Armstrong delivered occasional moments of quality but was severely let down by his goal involvement and composure needing more frequent decisive actions in the final third, missing too many positive chances, with a conversion rate underperforming by 58 percent.
Supporters have also questioned Armstrong’s clumsy build-up play and commented on his football IQ, with one fan on reddit stating his “skill and intelligence is at a child level”.
Burnley – Luca Koleosho: 6.68
Italian youngster Luka Koleosho underwhelmed in what many thought would be a standout season for the 20-year-old, contributing just 2 goals and zero assists in 30 appearances.
Fotmob data shows Koleosho’s dribble success rate was around just 20% with a shot accuracy of under 40% and analysts have stated his main flaw is his decision making in the final third, rushing into crowded areas without the necessary end product, reducing his threat.
As expected with a raw and explosive youngster, he makes plenty of poor choices on the pitch and like a majority of young wingers shows limited willingness to track back, especially put off by his 37% duel win rate.
Cardiff City – Joel Bagan: 6.57/10
With most of the Cardiff squad struggling last campaign, Joel Bagan holds the unfortunate record of their lowest performer. Following his return from a loan to Zulte Waregem, Bagan made 36 appearances, contributing two assists from Left Back.
Cardiff City fan forums aren’t particular fans of his performances either, with supporters disappointed by his defensive actions, with an average of just 0.5 interceptions per game and 1.1 tackles per game, not great numbers for a starting left back.
He’s also been critiqued for frequent positional errors allowing wingers to power on, but hopefully all these flaws are fixed in his step down to League One.
Coventry City – Norman Bassette: 6.50/10
20-year-old Belgian striker Norman Bassette struggled to find form for Cov last campaign, scoring just two goals in 29 appearances for the Sky Blues following his move from French side Caen for a fee of around £2,000,000.
From January onwards, Bassette failed to register a start for Coventry, failing to make the bench for the final few matchdays, including the playoffs. Despite his energy, Bassette produced just two goals from 4.8 xG, pointing to a lack of composure in the final third.
On the other hand, Bassette showed fiery performances, not being afraid to get stuck in. Perhaps this is a cause of over-hyping a youngster, raising expectations higher than previous arrivals, with Coventry finishing higher in the Championship than recent years.
Derby County – Liam Thompson: 6.55/10
Young centre midfielder Liam Thompson is Derby County’s lowest rated player, following an uninspiring season, in which he made 31 appearances (the most in one season so far in his career), scoring a single goal in the Carabao Cup Vs Chesterfield.
Thompson’s stats aren’t a pretty sight for any centre-mid, with just 74.8% pass accuracy, 28.2% long ball accuracy, 35.8% ariel duel rate success and 43.1% duel success rate and has been regularly criticised for his sloppy distribution.
Derby will be hoping these statistics improve, otherwise a loan spell elsewhere could be on the cards.
Hull City – Kyle Joseph: 6.53/10
Since joining from Blackpool in January, Joseph failed to register a single goal contribution in his 16 appearances for The Tigers.
Joseph’s Hull City stats aren’t pleasant reading for supporters, with 0 goals and a 2.11 xG, registering just six shots on target during his 1000+ minutes for the club and an absymal 58.4% pass accuracy.
One supporter online stated “He will get into positions and needs a decent partner to thrive but widely viewed as not a natural finisher, needing service and composure at the end.”, although former boss Selles defended his record stating “he’s done his job” whilst simultaneously acknowledging this struggle in front of goal was to blame on the whole squad.
Leeds United – Largie Ramazani: 6.55/10
Picking out a weak link in an impressive Leeds side must have been a struggle, but Belgian left winger Largie Ramazani has this unfortunate record. Ramazani picked up seven goals and two assists from his 31 appearances, following his £6,500,000 move from La Liga side Almeira.
Ramazani’s stats aren’t horrendous by any means, but a 15.4% cross accuracy and only 13 chances created, manager Daniel Farke may be looking for a bit more end product from his winger, especially following their promotion, if Ramazani plays a part in Leeds’ Premier League campaign.
Luton Town – Elijah Adebayo: 6.59/10
During Luton’s season of despair, Adebayo was the biggest underperformer, scoring just five goals in 41 appearances, following on from an impressive Premier League campaign with ten goals from 32 games.
Adebayo missed 27 big chances last campaign, six more than second place Borja Sainz, with a staggering conversion rate of 7.3%, and analysts have critiqued Adebayo’s performances stating “he touches before shooting are loose, and his finishing is worse, he loses the opportunity to shoot faster” , indicating a sharp drop in form, which hopefully improves in League One.
Middlesborough – Marcus Forss: 6.68/10
Forss failed to find his feet in the Championship last campaign, scoring just one goal in 25 appearances for Middlesborough, struggling to repeat his previous successes at the club and missed a large chunk of the season through a hamstring injury.
Competition on the flanks, has relegated Forss to limited cameos with recent sentiment from supporters revealing they don’t see him as a first team regular anymore.
His stats from the 24/25 season aren’t horrendous, with his weakest attributes his passing and creative build up play, with only 98 successful passes last campaign. Perhaps a move away could be the key to Forss rebuilding himself as a player.
Millwall – Luke Cundle: 6.56/10
Joining in January for just under £1,000,000, Cundle failed to live up to expectations, during his 992 Championship minutes last campaign. Stats from the last campaign back up this low rating, with a 21.4% dribble success, 78.7% pass accuracy and just 32.8% of duels won, incredibly underwhelming statistics for a central midfielder.
While capable in advanced roles, he’s not a natural in double-pivot setups, as his duel stats show, he’s exposed when expected to contribute defensively and if Alex Neil continues to deploy him centrally, Millwall may need supplemental midfield cover to balance the structure.
Norwich City – Oscar Schwartau: 6.57.10
During the 19-year-olds first campaign in English football, Schwartau made just a single goal contribution, scoring on Boxing Day against Millwall following his move from Danish side Brondby for around £2,000,000.
His xG sits at 3.28, indicating a weak conversion rate, whilst just 13 chances created and zero assists highlight a lack of final third contribution, a non-negotiable for any winger. However, Canaries fans believe this is due to his raw, youthful nature as he just beginning his development into a competent Championship winger.
Oxford United– Matt Phillips: 6.5/10
Phillips certainly struggled during his first campaign at Oxford, contributing just two Championship goal contributions in 28 appearances, highlighting a dramatic dip in form since leaving West Bromwich Albion.
Phillips’s 2024/25 stats aren’t a pretty sight, with 0.92xG, 0.58 xA and an appalling 66.5% pass accuracy, as well as completing just six successful dribbles last season.
At West Brom, Phillips delivered 14 goals + and11 assists in over 1,500 minutes, but at Oxford he’s fallen to 7 key passes and 13 progressive passes across 950 minutes, a remarkable drop.
Plymouth Argyle – Callum Wright: 6.53/10
During an overall disappointing season for Plymouth Argyle, Callum Wright takes the unfortunate position of the lowest rated player, making 40 appearances for Argyle last campaign, contributing just one goal versus Preston North End.
Wright’s statistics in comparison to other central midfielders in the league are quite shocking, with the third lowest pass accuracy in the division at 67.8%, as well as inadequate duels won and dribble success statistics, both being under 35%.
Fans have also displayed dissatisfaction with Wright’s pressing ability, lacking the mobility to be utilised at centre-mid effectively.
Portsmouth – Harvey Blair: 6.41/10
Blair’s first season playing somewhat regular first team football was a disappointing one, failing to make an impact at Pompey following his departure from Liverpool, making only twelve appearances, scoring a single goal against Sheffield Wednesday.
A repetitive knee injury curbed Blair’s rhythm to build up form, with manager John Mousinho indicating his fitness was a working progress stating Blair was “dead on his feet after 25 minutes”.
Due to this low playing time, most of his stats are on the lower sides, failing to make much attacking contribution throughout the last campaign, but Pompey will be hoping that with either a full pre-season or a loan away, Blair can properly develop.
Preston North End – Will Keane: 6.63/10
Following on from an impressive 2023/24 campaign, Keane’s form nosedived downwards, scoring just four goals in 31 games, after bagging 13 goals the season prior, having just 14 shots throughout the entire 2024/25 campaign.
In contrast however, Keane’s build up play and distribution was impressive with 81% pass accuracy and 65% long ball accuracy, but fan feedback online highlights that he now plays deeper and “hangs off the striker,” sacrificing forward movement for deeper positioning, lowering his goal scoring chances to support the build-up play, perhaps the main reason for his decline in front of goal.
QPR – Alfie Lloyd: 6.58/10
Alfie Lloyd became a first team regular last campaign, making 31 appearances after breaking through the ranks in their academy, chipping in 2 goals and 1 assist along the way.
Supporters described his playing style as incredibly raw, being unpredictable but lacking the necessary composure and control needed for the Championship, particularly criticised for his stray challenges and basic errors under pressure.
Additionally, QPR fans feel Lloyd is still slow to adapt tactically, often being unaware of how he can properly influence the game, however it’s certain that with more experience and coaching, these flaws will be fixed.
Sheffield United – Rhys Norrington-Davies: 6.58/10
Following promotion heartbreak at Wembley, Norrington-Davies holds the unfortunate record as The Blades’ lowest performing player. Frequent injuries hampered his game time, limiting him to just 14 Championship appearances.
Former manager Wilder also suggested he needs to find “match sharpness” following these long layoffs, as whenever he makes an appearance, it feels like he’s playing catch up.
Doing some analysis, it seems Norrington-Davies lacks the top-end pace possessed by other full-back options such as Harrison Burrows and Sam McCallum, and his defensive stats don’t paint a great picture, with just 25% of tackles won and just 55% of ariel duels won last campaign.
Sheffield Wednesday – Ike Ugbo: 6.53/10
Off the back of an impressive loan spell at the club (scoring 7 goals in 19 Championship games), Ugbo joined for a fee of around £2,500,000, but his performances failed to match his previous reputation, scoring just a single goal all season.
Ugbo registered just five shots on target across the entire campaign, highlighting his limited attacking threat, supported by a woeful 17.8% dribble success rate.
Former midfielder David Prutton described Ugbo as suffering from a serious confidence crisis, noting he looks “timid” and is “playing catch‑up” on the pitch.
Let’s see if he can improve next year, because last season’s performances were incredibly underwhelming for his price tag.
Stoke City – Lewis Koumas: 6.58/10
Koumas joined on loan in the summer from Liverpool, going on to make 49 appearances for The Potters where he would score 6 goals and make three assists during his spell.
Sloppy distribution was one fault picked up upon by supporters, with a disappointing 72.4% pass accuracy (one of the lowest for any winger in the Championship last term) and coaches at Stoke call him “hesitant to carry the ball forward” and cite room for growth in his finishing and defensive responsibilities.
Still aged just 19, hopefully Koumas develops and finds consistency during his next loan spell.
Sunderland – Salis Abdul Samed: 6.56/10
Salis Abdul Samed failed to make an impact at Sunderland during his loan spell, making just 10 Championship appearances after missing the first few months with serious muscle injuries.
In all fairness, his performances weren’t horrendous, but with the bar so high in for performances at Sunderland during their promotion year, it had to be someone.
Supporters noted he looked off‑pace and lacked timing in his first starts, as well as his assists and chance creation noticeably below average, due to being more of a defensive anchor than a creative catalyst.
Swansea City – Florian Bianchini: 6.63/10
Joining from FC Bastia for a fee of around £2,000,000, Bianchini failed to live up to his price tag, scoring just three goals and providing zero assists from the striker position, which he converted to under Luke Williams from left wing.
Bianchini’s stats aren’t great viewing for Swansea fans, with a 28.3% dribble success rate (4th lowest for any attacking player in the Championship) and underperforming his XG by almost 1.35.
Despite the positional change, Bianchini’s overall contributions have been limited. He has struggled to secure a regular starting spot, with some fans expressing frustration over his performances.
Watford – Tom Ince: 6.64/10
Championship veteran Tom Ince was Watford’s lowest performer, providing a single goal and assist in his 32 Championship appearances in his second season at Watford.
Ince’s performances have been filled with inconsistency.
While he has had standout moments, such as scoring a hat-trick in the EFL Cup against MK Dons, his overall contribution has fluctuated, however inconsistency has been a broader issue for Watford, as highlighted by captain Tom Cleverley, who noted the team’s failure to maintain consistent performances and execute basic skills effectively.
Questions surround Ince’s future with the club, especially age 33.
West Bromwich Albion – Devante Cole: 6.55/10
Devante Cole struggled throughout his first season at The Baggies after an incredible spell at Barnsley, playing only 152 minutes last campaign, but amassing 2 missed big chances in that time.
Cole failed to register a single minute from February onwards, spending most time either on the bench or featuring in the academy to keep his legs fresh.
Under manager Carlos Corberán, West Brom employed a possession-based style demanding strikers to contribute to build-up play, a position that Cole lacks proficiency in, with below average passing accuracy and involvement in link-up play
