Mudryk showing positive signs playing centrally – Talk Chelsea

Time will tell whether Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to shield Mykhailo Mudryk from the spotlight will be the correct one, if that is of course what he is doing. But whatever is happening with Mudryk lately, it’s positive.

We know that one of the big positives about Pochettino is his man-management, so maybe he has been trying to protect Mudryk from being in the lime light by not picking him when really he should have been? Maybe he’s done that to decrease pressure and build confidence? If he has, and it works, then I’ll take my hat off to him.

It would be wrong for me to sit here and type that Mudryk has finally made it at Chelsea, or that Mudryk is now proving his worth. I can’t hide my feelings and the fact that for me the jury still does remain out on him. That doesn’t mean that I have written him off, I’ve never done that, but I need to see regular consistency and difference making for the jury to no longer be out for me.

However, what I am seeing of late is vast improvements from him, and a huge confidence boost. For me that is key. Mudryk is a confidence player and confidence players need to feel loved, appreciated, and they need to do good things on the pitch in order to keep that confidence, boost it, and gain some momentum. Right now, that is what we are seeing with Mudryk.

Last night he scored a goal to send his country through to the Euros, and what a moment that was for him, his team mates, and an entire country in all honesty, after everything they have all been through of late.

Photo by Chelsea FC via Getty Images

His goal, which was scored from a central position arriving on the edge of the box, was refreshing to see…

I’ve said for a while now I think he’s better centrally because he has less time to think about things and just plays on instinct, which he is quite good at. It’s when he over thinks is when he struggles.

I’d absolutely love for Mudryk to keep this clear progression we are seeing and I maintain that he does now need a run of starts for Chelsea. And even though Pochettino might have only being doing it to protect him, I still think that it is a run of games that Mudryk has needed in order to really boost his trajectory and kick on as a Chelsea player.

I truly hope we see that happen now going forward and Mudryk goes on to prove me, and many others wrong. I think he has a great personality and is a likeable character.

But now, after being at this club well over a year and being 23-years-old, I think we are all ready to see some consistent quality and a Mudryk that not only helps this Chelsea team but becomes it’s talisman. Can he do it? Time will tell….