2025/26 Vitalii Mykolenko

[cronullasharks]

This is what is wrong with football. They'll give him a new deal because it's cheaper/easier than buying someone to replace him. This is why recruitment is so important and why for years we have players like keane, patterson etc. stealing a living. If you get recruitment wrong it's so difficult to correct it when you have limited resources.

Odds on that this is what will happen unfortunately. Keane too probably

 

[COYBL25]

How you all laughed when Benitez spent £30 million on Nathan Patterson and Vitali Mykolenko in January 2022 - but he obviously knew what he was doing cos here we in January 2026 and they are STILL our starting full backs. Maybe time for some belated credit for the Spanish transfer genius?

Not to mention the 600% profit on Demarai Gray...

Will the portly Spanish waiter one day be seen as one of our most astute and under-appreciated managers, and do you think we could lure hime back from Panathanaiokos?

Bed.

 

[Frosty1878]

I wouldn’t even bother extending his deal. I believe he’s out of contract this summer? Just let him walk for free.

Absolutely no where near good enough.

Yes absolutely if we have an option to 1 year then maybe if not get him gone otherwise we will only continue to see him on the team sheet.

 

[Furey1878]

7 goal contributions in 8 games, the 2-0 win Mykolenko went off at half time by the way

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Game state and situation mate. I can recall a few of those goals being us getting done on the break when chasing the game. And the last game at Goodison, Salah's assist is more a hopeful cross that is expertly headed in and his goal was a rebound that fell kindly to him.

Basically, look back through them and you'll see that he's not getting rinsed. He can do a very specific job when the oppositions danger man operates on their right. When we need to take the game to the opposition, he's hopeless.

Look back through my posts, I'm also agreeing we need better, but also think it's fair to say he'd still have use in the squad as a more defensive option should we sign a more attacking left back / give Aznou a go.

 

[Ferguson1878]

has the strongest hairline in the squad apart from that I’m not seeing any other positives

 

[Lanolin]

I remember at the height of the Dyche angst on here there were a few posters who used to swear that the only reason he didn't post good attacking numbers was because Dyche didn't let him get forward enough and he was clearly really good going forward because he'd got assists playing for Kiev. Good times.

 

[TrixyStevens]

has the strongest hairline in the squad apart from that I’m not seeing any other positives

He should be going bald from the stress of stealing a living.

 

[Username.]

He is awful anyone who says different is a crank.

 

[NathDogg]

Mykos done, awful last night.

Aznou needs to start now, and if Moyes doesn’t trust him in a 4, then go 5 at the back and bring him in as wing back.

 

[Swartzy]

He's the left back version of Michael Keane....

Only really suited to ultra defensive, backs to the wall defending...

Desperately needs an attacking upgrade if we want to progress

Except for the fact that keane can pick a pass, pretty decent in the air, and the best striker in the squad..

 

[BrendanGOT]

Honestly, I think he’s a CB. Especially if we played a back 3

 

[Lanolin]

Honestly, I think he’s a CB. Especially if we played a back 3

I’ve seen a lot of people say it but I just can’t see it at all. He’s weak and constantly on the back foot, I feel like he’d be massacred playing centre half in the PL. Maybe at international level where 90% of your games are against dross but in this league I don’t think he has any of the attributes I’d look for in a centre half.

 

[royvernon39]

However limited he is naturally, surely over the course of 4 years it is possible to train some attacking skills into a player when you have them at the training ground all week?

Like, if they said 'Ok Myko, we're going to stay behind for two hours every day to do NOTHING but work on your dribbling, your first touch, getting to the byeline and crossing' then surely by now we should have seen some improvement? How can it be possible to be a 26 year old professional footballer and show ZERO improvement in those skills over that period of time?

Maybe we should expect a bit of personal responsibility. 'I am very weak in this area and I am going to do whatever it takes to improve.'

HIBBERT?

 

[PeregrineT]

Fun fact: Mykolenko is the 26th most valuable LB in the world according to Transfermarkt.

 

[micknick]

Mykolenko is good at defending. He’s solid, not much gets passed him and you can see that when he’s had good games against Saka and Salah where the haven’t got much change out of him. BUT

He offers so little in any other regard that a team that wants to be more than backs against the wall defending for your life he needs upgrading. He was really poor Monday but not defensively