Enzo Maresca names one thing his wingers “need” to do and explains a flaw in Mudryk’s game | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca’s arrival at Chelsea saw him thrown into the mix with an urgent need to pick a first team and stick with it. That was no mean feat given the number of players at his disposal, but it was something the new manager did very well.

Despite the pressure of various large price tags, and the politics lurking behind using (or not using) some players, Maresca picked a team and stuck with it. The results have been good, meaning it’s been hard to question the results of those tough decisions.

One of the most critical early calls the former Leicester boss had to make was what to do with Mykhailo Mudryk. The winger got a first Premier League start against Wolves, was hooked at half time, and hasn’t started a Premier League game since.

Despite that, Maresca is always quick to praise the Ukraine star and to point to improvements he’s making.

Enzo Maresca with Mykhailo Mudryk.

Maresca gives fascinating insight into process of coaching raw winger

Maresca’s words in his press conference today on the “leaning process” that Mudyrk is undergoing are fascinating, and gives some insight into what the coach wants to bring out of the pacey wide man:

“He is not playing from the start [of game] but he is playing. Defensively, there are some things he needs to improve but so do the rest.

“On the ball, I think our wingers need to arrive in the box. We want our wingers to arrive in the box. At the beginning, they struggled but now they are doing much better. Everyone is the way they are. It is difficult to change people. If you are shy or not shy, it is difficult to change. With Misha, he looks a little bit shy but when he is with us, he is okay.”

With that sort of backing, and that sort of coaching, Mudryk can have no complaints if things don’t work out.