Pundit Lee Dixon has claimed that Chelsea may have found the position that Mykhailo Mudryk can excel in at Stamford Bridge.
Whilst on commentary on ITV4 for the Blues 3-2 win over Leeds in the FA Cup last night and Dixon believed Mudryk had far more of an impact on the game in the central role he was given by Mauricio Pochettino.
The 23 year old gave Chelsea the lead late in the first half after Nicolas Jackson had levelled the scores with Conor Gallagher coming off the bench to grab a last minute winner and set up a quarter final at Stamford Bridge against Leicester City.
Having played most of his football on the left wing since joining Chelsea Mudryk occupied the central attacking role and looked noticeably less comfortable when Gallagher came on and he was pushed out wide.
Dixon believes this role suits the Ukrainian internationals game and said: “I do prefer him in that 10, because I think when he goes wide, if you’ve got a clever full-back, however quick he is you can squeeze him out the game. In the 10, he can have a little wonder.”
“Sometimes you need a player in the team who you can just let do what they want. Sometimes you need to carry them, and he has two midfielders behind him who can do that.”
It hasn’t been the easiest of starts to life at Stamford Bridge for Mudryk and he will be hoping his performance last night has convinced Pochettino to keep in the starting lineup for Saturday’s game against Brentford in the Premier League.
Despite Mudryk’s goal against Leeds (which was well taken), I couldn’t disagree with Lee Dixon more. Mudryk lacks both the touch to play in the tight spaces required of the 10 and the football IQ to facilitate play from a central position. Anyone who has watched Mudryk can see he’s exceedingly raw — like a track star who’s been thrown onto a football pitch. And at least one outlet has reported that Frank Lampard confided to another former player that Mudryk doesn’t know the game!
Taking a player with a heavy touch and a poor reading of the game and sticking him in a central play-making role is just asking for trouble.