Chris Wilder needs to work Sheffield United magic to turn opinion of 28-year-old - fans are less than convinced | OneFootball

Loanee Chiedozie Ogbene signed on loan for Sheffield United from Ipswich at the end of August, but reviews from Blades fans have been mixed at best.

Sheffield United fans have been debating the progress of one of their summer loan signings this summer, and they're less than convinced by what they've seen.

One of the biggest mysteries of the start of the new Championship season has been the collapse in form of Sheffield United. The club were extremely active in the summer transfer market after replacing Chris Wilder with Ruben Selles, but the Spaniard was dismissed after a catastrophic start to the season, with Wilder returning to the club.

There has been a small improvement since then, but the Blades remain rooted to the foot of the Championship table with just three points and three goals from their first nine games of the season.

Sheffield United fans know Chris Wilder well enough to know that he can turn the team's fortunes around, so attention has naturally turned to the players themselves.

With 15 new players having arrived at Bramall Lane this summer, there has been a lot of change for Wilder to have to acquaint himself with, and one on-loan winger has been the subject of a lot of debate over the international break weekend.

"Average so far" - Sheffield United fans critical of Chiedozie Obgene's Bramall Lane career so far

Blades fans seem less than convinced by the progress of Irish international winger Chiedozie Ogbene, who arrived at Bramall Lane on loan from Ipswich Town at the very end of the summer transfer window.

Fan account 'Sheff Utd Way 'posed the question on the social media platform X to Blades fans over the weekend of, "What have you made of his first few games as a Blade", and the replies were mixed, to say the least.

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Some were satisfied at his start for the club, with one describing him as "Very bright, very good player", while another said that, "Would be fine as a permanent signing, or as a decent loan player filling a squad role." But others were more critical. One Blade replied, "Nothing shy of ordinary, if I'm honest", while others described him as "Average so far", and another said, "Lad can’t cross a ball, just likes to run to corner with it."

There was also a recurrent theme throughout the replies that Ogbene's showings have acted as a microcosm for the club's broader issues during the summer transfer window.

One reply said: "Most of the negative comments can be leveled at just about all the players this season, he's been better than the so called "top" players who haven't started to perform this season, personally like what I've seen, like someone said needs a bit more self belief, 7 out of 10 from me."

Ogbene has been underperforming for Sheffield United, but serious Ipswich Town injury was a huge blow last season

Chiedozie Ogbene's statistics so far this season demonstrate why he might not be meeting expectations at Bramall Lane so far. His attacking statistics are a particular concern. He has had practically no attacking influence this season, with an xG of 0.03 and only 0.2 shots per game.

This is a clearly talented player, albeit one who has been knocked off course by injury. He played 30 Premier League games for Luton Town in 2023-24, and that was enough to persuade Ipswich Town to pay them £8 million for his signature in August last year.

But an achilles tendon injury at the end of October 2024 left him on the sidelines for the remainder of the season, and that injury may have affected his confidence. It's notable several of the replies on X mention his confidence and fitness. These can be problems for players returning from long-term injury.

While Ogbene has been underperforming at Bramall Lane this season, he's far from the only player to be doing so. Chris Wilder has an extremely talented group of players at his disposal this season, but forming a successful team is about more than the sum of the parts involved.

Wilder's biggest job in the coming weeks will be to build up that confidence again and find a balance of players for Sheffield United that works. The international break may turn out to have been a big opportunity for him to do so.