Earlier this week, Chelsea were taking flak for their use – or misuse – of Mykhailo Mudryk. Most Blues fans have reached the end of their tether with the winger, and there weren’t many complaints when he didn’t even make the bench for last weekend’s game against Liverpool.
But some take the opposite stance, the that lack of production from the winger is the fault of the coach and the rest of the team, rather than Mudryk himself.
That was the stance taken by the CEO of his former club, Shakhtar Donetsk. Sergiy Palkin earlier this week claims the club just hadn’t put the 23 year old in a position to succeed, using a very automotive metaphor ot explain it.
“You don’t need a Ferrari if you don’t know how to drive it. A normal car will do. If you buy a Ferrari, you should think about how to handle it. That’s my opinion on Mudryk at Chelsea,” Palkin said on the pre-match coverage before his team played Arsenal earlier this week.
Mudryk finds his gear at last
Well, Mudryk came back into the team for last night’s game and looked excellent. A goal, two assists, lots chances to use his electric pace down the left, 17 passes of 17 completed, and 4 duels won. If he played like that every week, he wouldn’t just be on the bench, he’d be starting.
But the problem is that we’ve seen these flashes before. Ever since his debut, when he looked dangerous as a sub. But so far, Mudryk hasn’t been able to deliver consistent performances over longer periods, especially in the Premier League.
He’s played just 81 league minutes this season, but should continue to play every week in the cups, giving him plenty of opportunity to show the manager and fans what he can do.