Mauricio Pochettino delivers judgment on Mykhaylo Mudryk’s performance after Ashley Cole criticism
Mauricio Pochettino defended Mykhaylo Mudryk after the Chelsea winger delivered another ineffective performance in the 3-1 loss to West Ham.
Since joining the Blues in January for £87 million from Shakhtar Donetsk, Mudryk has struggled to live up to expectations. He began Sunday’s derby match against the Hammers on the substitutes.
Former Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole believed that the loss of Carney Chukwuemeka, who was replaced by Mudryk due to an injury, contributed to the Blues losing their way in the second half.
Cole then questioned the forward, telling Sky Sports, “Perhaps the substitution [Chukwuemeka’s removal and Mudryk’s entry] caused the problem.
They lost some momentum during the contest. Between right-back and center-back, they lacked the ability to sprint in behind. West Ham had it too easily thereafter.
“Pochettino will have comprehended the reasoning behind the change, but I felt they lost a little bit of their ability to drive past West Ham and create problems for them. They lost some of their strength and initiative to sustain assaults.”
In response to Cole’s scathing assessment, Pochettino was quick to defend Mudryk’s performance after the game, with the former Tottenham manager suggesting that the gifted Ukrainian winger’s confidence must be rebuilt.
Mudryk has yet to score for his new club despite making 19 appearances across all competitions since his January transfer. Pochettino is confident that the forward will eventually find his footing in a Blues uniform.
However, he must first establish continuity and trust during the weeklong training sessions.He is a youthful player who must be trusted; we must have faith in him to establish this rapport with us and the team.
It’s only a question of time, I believe, before he finds a way to perform at the level we expect him to. “He possesses tremendous skill and talent, and I am confident that he will find a way to perform to our standards.”
Join our brand-new WhatsApp group! Follow this link to receive a daily dosage of content from Mirror Football.
We also provide our community members with exclusive discounts, promotions, and advertisements from ourselves and our partners. If you dislike our community, you are free to leave at any time. If you are inquisitive, you can review our Privacy Notice.
Mauricio Pochettino delivers judgment on Mykhaylo Mudryk’s performance after Ashley Cole criticism