Pat Nevin knows everything there is to know about playing as a winger, and also about playing for Chelsea, so it was great to hear him giving some advice to Mykhailo Mudryk on the London is Blue podcast this week.
Interestingly, his biggest piece of advice for the speedy Ukrainian was actually to “slow down”, something we totally agree with. When you have that sort of pace it’s natural to want to use it, but sometimes he needs to think before he sprints.
You can see Nevin speaking in the clip embedded here:
Chelsea Legend Pat Nevin reveals 2 things that Mykhailo Mudryk needs to improve to reach the next level. 👀
Listen to our full interview 👉 https://t.co/sgfP8MikVj pic.twitter.com/souPkH7LAi
— London Is Blue Podcast ⭐️⭐️ (@LondonBluePod) January 2, 2024
It’s not bad advice, certainly when Mudryk cuts inside, but why does he insist on cutting inside CONSTANTLY?! When he does he largely neutralizes his greatest attribute—his pace—especially given that his touch is frequently too heavy. These “donkey touches†are far less of a problem if he stays outside matched up one v one. Take a heavy touch and he can usually just race his many to retrieve it (and win). When he cuts inside he’s usually dribbling into pressure and he’s no Eden Hazard with the ball. The kid needs to learn what his strengths and weaknesses are and seek to capitalize on the former while minimizing the latter.