Angelo Gabriel congratulates Mikhail Mudrik on his great goal against Brighton in Philadelphia. Photo: Getty Images/Darren Walsh k to answer many of the questions he gets asked, but his game against Brighton this weekend was at least a step in the right direction.
The time has come for a new optimism at every club and Chelsea are hopeful that a new dugout coach will lead to a new Mudrik on the pitch. Few players were as clearly behind last season as the Ukrainian, which means that this time around, few players have as many opportunities to improve immediately.
Can Mauricio Pochettino help Mudrik reach his potential? These are the earliest days (Mudryk has only played 45 minutes in a blue shirt so far under Pochettino's eye), but there is reason to believe that something is moving. Against Brighton in Philadelphia, he electrified the American public more than any other player.
Mudrik's goal, in which he broke inside from the left flank before smashing a rebounding ball into goal, was the highlight of his performance. But his speed also stood out, especially when starting from a standstill. His speed is his biggest strength, but he barely used it last season. His supporters would say that he didn't play in a system or structure that allowed him to do so.
Multiple choice. 👌#BluesInTheUSA pic.twitter.com/i5zFvRnUE0
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 23, 2023 performance against Brighton is an example of what he can do? “That's not my full potential,” Mudrik said after the game. “It's only 20 percent.”
Time will tell if he was right on that front, but what is certain is that Mudryk is coming into this season in a much better position than he did in January, following his £89m move from Shakhtar Donetsk. When he first arrived at Chelsea, he had not played for two months. He entered the club in a turmoil, with too many players on the team and not enough points in the table.
However, the mood is different now, and Mudrik looks ready to compete. He played for the Ukraine under-21s at the recent European Championships in an attempt to regain his form and it seems he has already impressed Pochettino in the past few weeks. Over the summer, Mudrik and his new head coach exchanged messages ahead of their face-to-face meeting, and Pochettino is clearly looking to forge a personal connection with his winger.
“We've been talking the last few days and I found a really nice guy,” Pochettino said last week. “He is still young, with great potential. Most importantly, we need to earn trust and self-confidence. We build relationships with him and with different players. They need to know us and how we act in every situation. We had a lot of conversations and I'm happy about that.”
Mauricio Pochettino will work to build trust between Mudrik, himself and his coaching team. Photo: Getty Images/Tim Nwachukwu Mudrik with fans after Chelsea's 4-3 friendly victory over Brighton in Philadelphia. Photo: Getty Images/Tim Nwachukwu
To score the goal, Mudrik exchanged two quick passes with new striker Nicholas Jackson. The arrival of a real centre-forward means that Mudrik will have a point of reference in attack and a teammate to work on. He didn't have that last season when Chelsea usually played without a recognized No. 9 in the team.
Mudrik is still learning English and so far he is not verbose. However, he made it clear that he was reflecting and analyzing his struggles in a Chelsea shirt. When asked how to characterize his time at the club, he replied: “The period of study.” When asked what he learned most during those difficult months, he replied: “Patience”.
Mudryk also said it was “a pleasure to work under Pochettino” and the 22-year-old has every reason to believe he can succeed under his new manager. Pochettino's track record with young players is extremely impressive and if he can do to Mudrik what he did to Harry Kane and Dele Alli at Tottenham Hotspur, he will have a formidable offensive weapon at his disposal.
Not it must be forgotten that both Brentford and Arsenal – two of the Premier League's best recruiters in recent years – wanted to break their transfer records to sign Mudrik before Chelsea burst into the winter window. Roberto De Zerbi, Brighton head coach and Mudrik's former manager, said the winger could win the Ballon d'Or.
They can't be wrong and there can be no doubt that Mudrik is an exceptional talent . Pochettino's challenge is to unleash this talent through individual coaching and team building, and to allow Mudrik to show he's worth all the money and hype. So far so good.
What a goal! 👏@FIKO | #BluesInTheUSA pic.twitter.com/2Ty9Mxhar6
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 23, 2023
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