After Everton's hard-fought 4-2 win over Blackpool, where defender Vitaliy Mykolenko was the centerpiece of the match, the Liverpool Echo decided to explain the exceptional progress of the Ukrainian legionnaire.
Vitaly Mykolenko. Photo by Getty"Mykolenko impressed everyone until the end of the previous season. In the match against Blackpool, Lampard returned to the back five and was rewarded for this decision with promising performances from two players who played a key role in the build-up, Patterson and Mykolenko.
The publication reports that the role and position that Lampard takes for the 23-year-old defender perfectly matches his playing and leadership qualities. The ex-Dinamo player conducts the defensive play while moving to the central line.
Also, the fact of the idyll that prevailed between the Ukrainian and the Scottish right-back Nathan Patterson sounds loudly in favor of Mykolenko's leadership. Their wing link is reminiscent of another Liverpool duo of Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson.
Journalists note that the match, where Mykolenko was given the role of leader, turned out to be more intense than the previous two games in the USA, which were lost with a total score of 0:6 ("Arsenal" and "Minnesota").
"The main players for Everton before the new season will be Mykolenko and Patterson, who could have more than three assists in the match against Blackpool. It is these individuals who can give new hope to the club," concludes the analysis of the publication.
The portal also highlighted the successful actions of midfielder Dele Alli, who wants to return to his former level, with which he is gradually helped by Mykolenko, who gave the Englishman an assist.
