Mykhailo Mudryk was taken off with a concussion substitute in last night’s game, meaning a compulsory 7 day period off playing.
With our final match of the season on Sunday, that means his 2023-2024 is over. What do we make of it? Pretty damn disappointing. Much like his first 6 months at the club. But one person still has faith – Gael Clichy.
The former Arsenal defender has been speaking about the winger, and it seems he is still a believer:
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Mykhailo Mudryk comes out next season and becomes the best winger in the Premier League, because he’s absolutely got all of the attributes which you want in a winger,” Clichy said in quotes picked up by SportsKeeda.
“Why is he not performing now? His club is not performing, maybe he’s not feeling himself, and maybe that will change next season. We all have quick opinions, and it’s very easy to judge when we haven’t got all of the cards in front of us.”
The Christian Pulisic model
We only wish that we had the same faith. But overall he’s right. If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s that players at this very top level can surprise you, even when you’re you can write them off.
Christian Pulisic is perhaps the best example from recent times at Chelsea. He was so average for so long that people were convinced he would never cut it. Then he had an incredible spell of a few months – then went back to being average.
Now he’s in Milan, we hear he’s doing well. It’s just hard to judge how good a player is, let alone how good they could be.
Players with far fewer skills and tools than Mudryk have had great careers in the Premier League, so we’re hardly going to write him off. On the other hand, we’d be lying if we said we had the highest hopes for next year. He’s had plenty of games now, and 18 months to adapt to life in his new home.
There remains some mitigating circumstances, but the effectiveness of those excuses is certainly starting to wear a little thin.
This article is inane even by SuperFrank’s standards.
First off, to liken Mudryk to Pulisic is a total apples to oranges comparison. The only thing they share in common is that they both play wing! Pulisic had already played at a high level for several years before arriving at Chelsea, featuring regularly for a top club in the Bundeliga and in the Champions League. And with that pedigree came not only his obvious psychical talent but a pretty high football IQ. Mudryk came to us with neither the top-level experience of Pulisic or the football IQ that comes with such training and experience against top competition. So, on a very important level, there is no real comparison!
Secondly, SuperFrank indicates he “hears” Pulisic is doing well in Serie A. Talk about an understatement, lol! Pulisic has 12 non-penalty goals and seven assists, placing him among the league leaders in both stats and in truly elite company in terms of total goal contributions. So, yeah, he’s doing quite well! But why is it SuperFrank doesn’t mention any of these details and instead offers up this incredibly weak “we hear” BS??? Could it because he (and a lot of other Chelsea supporters) have egg on their face regarding Pulisic?! I argued repeatedly last season that there was an implicit bias at work among the British fan base towards “the Yank” and that Pulisic was being unfairly judged due to repeated injury and the failure of at least three managers to give him a run of games in the correct position (i.e., not at wingback!). Well, look who turned out to be dead right?! Moi. Pioli has placed faith in “the Yank,” starting him in nearly every match and Pulisic has rewarded Milan in spades. The fact that SuperFrank can’t be bothered to note this and would offer up the Mudryk/Pulisic comparison without doing his homework on Pulisic is just the latest example of him talking out his “you know what” without holding himself accountable for doing even the slightest bit of research or real analysis. It’s why he got it wrong with Pulisic in the first place and it’s why we have to take most of what he writes with a gigantic grain of salt (because it’s often offered with the flimsiest of real evidence).
Rubbish, Mudryk never played at the top level. Low football IQ. Poor ball control. He will be replaced next season, Chelsea usually have no time for BS players.
So agree with Wyatt_Earp74!!! I read this article and could not believe what was written about Pulisic. Is SuperFrank a legitimate sportswriter who actually watched football in the last 8 years? Or is he just trying to be controversial and bash on Pulisic — who has been his teams best player this year. He was finally given the opportunity and trust.