August 27th 2024.
The recent Chelsea match was quite a spectacle, with manager Enzo Maresca being the center of attention. Rumors were swirling that he was considering benching their big-money signing, Mykhailo Mudryk, after a less-than-stellar performance in their Premier League opener against Manchester City. Mudryk, who had been acquired for a whopping £89 million in January 2023, had also failed to make an impact in their Europa Conference League win over Servette and was even substituted off at half-time in their 6-2 victory against Wolves.
The criticism towards Mudryk only intensified after former Chelsea midfielder Craig Burley weighed in on the matter. "Noni Madueke was absolutely flying from the first minute, it was a big statement from him," he said on ESPN while analyzing Chelsea's win over Wolves. "It was much better from Nicolas Jackson as well. Not that we learned anything, but Mykhailo Mudryk is just going to be a waste of time as a starter. Pedro Neto will play there. He came on there, but he will play. Mudryk is just not consistent enough."
It was clear that Maresca was not pleased with Mudryk's performance, as he criticized him after both the Servette and Wolves games. Burley's comments only added fuel to the fire, with many speculating that Mudryk may find himself on the bench for the foreseeable future. However, Maresca was quick to point out that there were other notable changes in the team's performance, specifically their speed in attacking. "In terms of the performance, the big difference [from former managers] was the speed which Chelsea attacked," he stated. "It was way better and I know it's only one game and they could revert back but I don't think so. It was clear to me that this manager wants the ball shifted quicker and they did it brilliantly. It was a brilliant performance."
Mudryk's underwhelming performance has caused many to question if he will ever live up to his huge price-tag and be a success at Chelsea. When asked about this, Maresca responded, "I think this is Misha, this is Mudryk, in terms of not only tonight, but in terms of since he joined the club. I think he had some good moments and then some moments like flipping a coin. You don't know if it's one thing or the other thing. This is Misha. If he can become more consistent, he can take one step forward. We are going to try and help him change."
It was evident that Maresca was trying to find ways to help Mudryk improve and become more consistent on the field. "He needs to try and understand that we are going to give him the ball in the last third. And when he's there [it's about] taking the right decision," he explained. "For me, most of the mistakes from Misha is not about the quality or the technical mistake, it's about the choice. Sometimes he has to play and he tries to do something different and we lose the ball. Sometimes he has to go one-v-one, it's about decision making. Hopefully we can help him and improve that."
However, it seemed that Maresca's patience was wearing thin, as he made a bold move by substituting Mudryk at half-time in the Wolves game. When asked about the decision, Maresca candidly stated, "I was not happy. I think in some moments we can manage some situations better. He was working very hard off the ball and that was very good. But in terms of on the ball, I expect a bit more quality from Misha. For me, he had some good moments the other day and some good moments today and the reason why was just because we needed to change and give Pedro [Neto] some minutes."
It was clear that Maresca had high expectations for Mudryk, but it seemed that he was not meeting them. Only time will tell if Mudryk will be able to turn things around and prove himself as a valuable player for Chelsea.
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