It's time for Pochettino to drop UNDERPERFORMING Mudryk

Cameron Smith

28 Apr 2024 16:45 BST
3 min read

Mykhailo Mudryk, Mauricio Pochettino, Chelsea, 2023/24 — © IMAGO

Mykhailo Mudryk has been at Chelsea for over a year, but the Ukraine international is yet to show the progress needed for him to make a consistent impact in the Premier League.

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He has shown glimpses of his talent in a Blues shirt, however his inconsistent form is becoming a major problem for Mauricio Pochettino.

Mudryk delivered another ineffective performance during Chelsea’s 2-2 draw against Aston Villa on Saturday, while the man on his opposite flank - Noni Madueke - excelled with a goal and an assist.

The 23-year-old was erratic with his shot selection, unsuccessful in most of his one-vs-one battles against Matty Cash and offered very little value in possession.

Chelsea are a team in transition, but Mudryk’s form is a massive concern. He hasn’t scored or assisted in each of his last six starts and the Blues are evidently missing a real threat down their left flank.

Mykhailo Mudryk to be dropped?

Mudryk is arguably the quickest player in European football, yet he almost solely asks for the ball to feet and rarely makes darting in-behind runs. Instead, he drops deep and is often ineffective when attempting to knit together Chelsea attacks.

His movement also leaves a lot to be desired, with Mudryk frequently seen waiting for the ball to be passed to him, rather than forcing the issue himself.

This has been a major problem amid Chelsea’s inconsistent form over the past few weeks and was certainly on show during the draw at Villa Park.

Injury issues have meant that Mudryk has been almost forced to start in recent weeks, but his unconvincing form should lead to a spell on the substitutes bench in any case. Academy starlet Tyrique George is extremely highly-rated among Chelsea circles and while throwing him into the deep end isn’t advisable, there’s little to suggest Mudryk is currently a superior option as things stand.

The Ukrainian joined Chelsea for a whopping €70 million, which could rise to €100m with add-ons, but he is yet to justify this price tag and although the Blues would like to see return on their investment, Mudryk hasn’t done enough to start consistently at the moment.