Criticism won't shake Marco Silva's bet on midfielder after rocky start | OneFootball

Marco Silva made a promise and is delivering on it. Sudakov has become one of the coach’s main bets for this new Benfica season, taking on a prominent role early on in the Portuguese manager’s plans. When he was unveiled as José Mourinho’s successor in charge of the Eagles, the coach made it clear that he intended to get the very best out of the players at his disposal and highlighted the Ukrainian international in particular.

“You only have to look at the characteristics of my teams... From a very early stage, it’s the kind of player profile that usually performs well, it’s the kind of player profile from whom we can usually get the best, and that’s what we’ll try to do again with Sudakov. Obviously, the opportunity will be there. He’s a player I believe in a lot. We’re here to improve him individually and, collectively, get him playing at the level a player with that talent has to play at,” said Marco Silva on June 12, at his unveiling as the new Benfica coach.

The coach quickly turned words into action. During pre-season, it became clear that Sudakov would have an important role in the Eagles’ attacking dynamic. Used in a system with three midfielders, the Ukrainian has taken on duties close to a number 10, looking to link play with Pavlidis and the two wingers, while also frequently finding space between the lines.

Despite some inconsistent performances, Sudakov managed to convince Marco Silva and started Benfica’s first official matches of the season. Alongside Samuel Dahl, the Ukrainian international is the second-most used player in the squad in terms of minutes, with 450, behind only Clément Lenglet, who has 478.

Marco Silva acknowledged that emotional side of the player and admitted that there is “some tension”, although he highlighted Sudakov’s desire to meet expectations and do what is asked of him on the pitch. The coach therefore seems determined to keep the promise he made on day one: to get the best out of the Ukrainian and bring him up to the level his talent demands.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.