BBC Radio Lincolnshire and Jimmy Walker have sparked some intense debate this week, which I guess is exactly what you want from pre-season content.
Jimmy, a friend of Erhahon’s agent (maybe former friend after this interview), said our midfielder is ‘miles off it’ in terms of stepping up to the Championship, and wouldn’t make his top five Lincoln City players this season.
Firstly, my title has drawn you in, but the truth is Jimmy is neither right nor wrong, because he’s expressing an opinion. Whatever I say here isn’t right or wrong either. Opinion is just that: my intent is to see if there’s evidence either way for Erhahon being Championship quality.
Has Ethan Erhahon done enough to earn a move to the Championship?
Catch Jimmy Walker on the latest episode of the Red Imps Club podcast on BBC Sounds.
As a friend of Ethan’s agent, he has shared his feedback on the midfielder’s performances.
https://t.co/6slNmaedzH pic.twitter.com/AckoLVuE5P
— BBC Sport Lincolnshire (@BBCSportLincs) May 16, 2025
The Eye Test
Let’s look at the obvious pointers here: the eye test. What did we perceive Ethan’s season to be in 2024/25? He was pretty much ever-present up to the Bolton game, so a key part of the team that moved into the top six just before the Christmas break.
The first big red flag came against Bolton, where he picked up two yellow cards in the space of a couple of minutes, one after the half-time whistle. That massively changed fan perspective, not least because a big away following had trekked across the country in the cold winter weather, only to be let down by a single action. In truth, he was fouled before he got his yellow and it wasn’t given, but it saw him lose his cool. We went on to lose 3-0, and at that point, with many, Ethan’s reputation took a hit.
Here’s the thing – the so-called agitator who can’t keep his mouth shut had only picked up three league bookings prior to Boxing Day. The perception is he cost us a lot because of his back chat, but aside from the double booking against Bolton, he had remained inside the permitted number of bookings, and not all of those were for dissent. Funny, isn’t it, how perception has him being booked loads for his mouth.
While people perceive January’s results to have been bad, Ethan didn’t appear against Rotherham, so in the league he featured in two wins (Northampton and Peterborough), two draws (Wigan and Stevenage) and just the one defeat, against Blackpool, where we were generally considered to be decent.
His injury then dampened people’s expectations more; he missed over two months as we struggled through February, and then came alive again in March. He wasn’t rushed back, but by the time he did return, our form wasn’t too bad. I thought he looked decent in those games after his return, but bearing in mind he’s coming back from injury, you could perhaps forgive a little ring rust.
The Stats Test
The eye test suggests, perhaps, that his season ended with the Bolton red card. January was widely regarded as poor for the whole team (wrongly, in my opinion), and therefore, by the time he got injured, there hadn’t been time to earn his stripes back. In (some) supporters’ eyes, January didn’t have any outstanding performers (even though we hammered Peterborough 5-1), and so how could someone who had blotted his copybook change that opinion, when generally (and in my opinion wrongly) the whole team were judged as substandard?
In terms of numbers, Jimmy wouldn’t have Ethan Erhahon in his top five players, and that’s a valid opinion. Stacey West readers, who rate each player on a game-by-game basis, agree. Ethan comes out sixth, behind Darikwa, Roughan, O’Connor, Collins and Tom Hamer. Obviously, the latter played fewer games, and that can affect averages, but Ethan came sixth for the season.
In terms of facts – that’s stats from the season, Ethan Erhahon is one of, if not our best, players. For instance, he was still top five for minutes played, despite the injury and one-game suspension. He didn’t get any goals or assists, but it would be wrong to judge a holding midfielder on that stat. Ethan’s strengths are in winning the ball, passing and progressing the play. His dribble success (75.86%) was in a league of its own. Only Paudie O’Connor, who carries the ball out of defence usually unopposed, was higher, and Ethan made five times as many dribbles per 90 as Paudie. The only player who made close to as many dribbles as Ethan (0.9) per 90 with a success rate close was Sean Roughan on 0.85 and 57.78%.
Ethan also scored highly in offensive duels. His 55.77% success was bettered only by Lewis Montsma (57.58%) again, from half as many duels. For comparison, Conor McGrandles, playing in a similar position, contested 1.48 fewer offensive duels per 90, with a 10% lower success rate, and he was the second-highest placed midfielder.
Ethan scored highest in the squad for pass accuracy, but also forward pass accuracy, showing that he’s not just a sideways and backwards man. He was second highest for lateral (sideways) passes, behind Paudie, whose stats are boosted by passing the ball across the back. His long pass accuracy, 65.18%, was also the best in the side, some way ahead of the next player, Paudie O’Connor, on 57.98%.
In terms of passing the ball, there’s absolutely no doubt that Ethan Erhahon was our best player last season. He was above average, but not top five (seventh), for successful defensive actions per 90, and defensive duels won. Crucially, he was the second-placed non-defender for successful defensive actions, behind Conor McGrandles, which you’d expect from a defensive midfielder.
Positional Test
That’s where the final criterion comes into play – his position. Let me ask you this: what are your memorable moments from the season? Jovon’s hat-trick? James Collins’ double against Charlton? A winger dropping a shoulder and beating a player? A defender rising high at the back stick and bagging, like Paudie on the opening day? Those probably rank.
What will not rank is a holding midfielder picking up the ball, skipping past his opposite number and starting the winger off down the line. You probably won’t remember a neat sideways pass that creates space in the channel, or a midfielder carrying the ball 25 yards and progressing play. That’s another reason I think Ethan sometimes slides under the radar. I think because of where he plays, the unsexiest position on the field, it’s easy to undervalue his impact.
That won’t be underestimated by teams in the Championship. If they need a hod carrier, a player capable of working himself out of tight situations, capable of bringing the left side of the field into play with a simple pass from the right, they’ll see those qualities in Ethan. I suspect he’s more of a footballer’s football than a fan’s footballer, and his qualities will not go unnoticed. He’s a Scott Kerr, a David Batty, the one doing a lot of unseen work. It’s unseen by fans, but not by clubs. Swansea’s bid of £600,000 might have been derisory, but at least it shows they recognise his talents.
Is Jimmy’s Interview Damaging?
Of course not. The mere notion that a buying club might watch a 20-second soundbite on Twitter and decide against making an offer is utterly absurd. Clubs watch players for months, maybe even years. They study stats, using the likes of Wyscout to measure and monitor players. They’ll know Ethan’s capabilities, and while maybe there’s an outside chance an interview could be mentioned during negotiations, I don’t think it would be damaging to a deal.
Is it damaging to BBC Radio Lincolnshire’s relationship with the club? Again, I don’t think so. The BBC should be impartial, and if that’s how one of their pundits feels, then he has the right and freedom to say it, and I’m sure the club respects that. People might not believe it, but my own relationship with the club is built on the I can say what I feel, as an independent creator (and I’m not arguing that point on Twitter again, for the record).
The only blurred line for me is when the radio comms go out on the club’s official video feed. Neutral commentary is expected on the radio, but if you buy the Imps+ video feed from the club, I guess you don’t expect to be told by home commentators that the team are on the beach, or that players are not 100% committed. However, again, that’s not entriely the BBC’s fault, because their primary product is the neutral radio feed.
Conclusion
Do I think Ethan Erhahon was one of our best five players this season, in terms of form and impact?
Yes, probably, but not top four.
Do I think Ethan Erhahon is worth more than £1m?
Yes, absolutely, in today’s market, but that value is peaking with his age and (by his standards) an average season behind him.
Do I think he was at the top of his game last season?
No, not at all. He let us down at Bolton, and despite looking a cut above in some games, he didn’t stand out in some of the bigger fixtures, for instance, against Birmingham at home.
Finally, do I think a fully fit and on-form Ethan Erhahon is the best current Lincoln City player?
Without a shadow of a doubt, and that is the crucial point. They say form is temporary and class is permanent, and any team watching Ethan this season might have more bargaining power because of his perceived weaker campaign, but it certainly won’t scupper any potential deal.