2025/26 Vitalii Mykolenko


Think the biggest problem he has is that he’s probably the worst left back in the league still….
Thought he looked championship level in the past , we saw a slight upturn in form but this season he’s returned to his baseline.

We’ve got a giant of a centre half playing out of position on the right and he offers more than our international fullback .
 
Thought he looked championship level in the past , we saw a slight upturn in form but this season he’s returned to his baseline.

We’ve got a giant of a centre half playing out of position on the right and he offers more than our international fullback .
The only thing he’s top level capable of is squaring up a winger who likes everything to feet. Even then I watched Johnson go past him yesterday and it was literally something you’d be fuming at an u11 for. Showed him the line but body shape was all wrong and just invited him inside.
 
He's obviously been told by Moyes to get up the line more often when his only saving grace is to have a decent defensive performance every 3 games or so.

But he's another untouchable for Moyes, just like KDH and Gueye. He'll always choose them regardless of performance.
 

And some people thought Everton refused £21 million from Napoli for him lololololololol

Do you understand why they (and others) may want to sign him & what his role was yesterday?

It doesnt seem so.

He was tasked with a hybrid inverted LB role galloping inside to LCM and taking up far more advanced positions.

Behind him Kudus & Johnson were both combining into the space behind him with Porro keeping Ndiaye busy.

Mykolenko is a defence first left back. The above is not his game.

Moyes should have used Aznou if he wanted someone with the ability to attack and come inside high up the pitch - its been said this is Aznou's game.

Would an Italian defensive structure work for Mykolenko? Of course because it does when Branthwaite is next to him.
 
Honestly he's grim watching grealish a few times and overlaped he doesn't want to give it to him

Convinced he doesn't actually want the ball because he knows his limitations.
Do you understand why they (and others) may want to sign him & what his role was yesterday?

It doesnt seem so.

He was tasked with a hybrid inverted LB role galloping inside to LCM and taking up far more advanced positions.

Behind him Kudus & Johnson were both combining into the space behind him with Porro keeping Ndiaye busy.

Mykolenko is a defence first left back. The above is not his game.

Moyes should have used Aznou if he wanted someone with the ability to attack and come inside high up the pitch - its been said this is Aznou's game.

Would an Italian defensive structure work for Mykolenko? Of course because it does when Branthwaite is next to him.

His defending is very suspect too. Look at him for the 2nd goal yesterday. Granted however, in a 10 men behind the ball system with lots of support, he can put in solid defensive performances.

But what teams outside of the relegation strugglers would tolerate someone so poor on the ball? He would stop an entire team from playing out from the back.
 

He really has regressed
Moyes is not helping...he is basically required to be the "only" advanced full back and make things happen as obrien was always in a back 3 most of the games when we were in possession of the ball. He doesn't have the tools to be an effective attacking full back. He tried but clearly struggled when in advanced positions. He is a player to play defensive with some overlap to give the winger space. That's how he should be used, thats how he was used with good effect in the past. I truly belive if we play with a true rb that would do the same job (overlap to give ndiaye space), we would be much better.
 
Moyes is not helping...he is basically required to be the "only" advanced full back and make things happen as obrien was always in a back 3 most of the games when we were in possession of the ball. He doesn't have the tools to be an effective attacking full back. He tried but clearly struggled when in advanced positions. He is a player to play defensive with some overlap to give the winger space. That's how he should be used, thats how he was used with good effect in the past. I truly belive if we play with a true rb that would do the same job (overlap to give ndiaye space), we would be much better.

He`s a defender and that`s all he is.

If all you ask him to do is defend, he can do that, ask him to defend and overlap with the winger, he can`t do it, as he just hasn`t got that skill set.
 
He really has regressed
There's a bit more to it. Amplified by the Doucoure factor.
Gana can't play his superb game because he needs to be a foil to the active press, reading the game, anticipating the movement of the ball, and closing down, getting a foot in and turning over possession. No Doucoure (who was our clear leading marathon runner) no party.
This has affected other areas, where we would once force the ball wide and close down and make a side clear long, or kick the ball out of play - we can't do that now. We're trying to play a much more possession based game, but we cant get CM right.
What does this mean for Myko, well Grealish isn't Harrison or Ili, so he isn't as quick to work back and cover, coupled with his being required to support Grealish further forward and there being no Branthwaite pace to cover the space he's left behind he's been very exposed.
PL football is miles more advanced than Ukraine vs Azerbaijan. That's no negative to them, it's just calling it honest. One of our better distributors was chased out of the club by a certain fat waiter that should never have been offered nor taken the job. We've missed deliveries by Digne since.
With a deeper line and willing protection Myko is an able defender. That's it. There isn't a side in the league that wouldn't want a 26 year old Baines in their squad now.
 

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