Famous journalist Roberto Morales shared his thoughts on the future prospects of Ukrainian national team defender Vitaliy Mykolenko in the English Premier League and his club Everton.
- Everything was going so well for Vitali under Lampard, but it seems he will have to prove everything again to Deitch. Why did Mykolenko lose his place in the first team?
- I think there may be a whole list of factors. We need to remember that he had the coronavirus. Any little thing can knock a person out of the state he is in. The coach has also changed. Sean Dyche sees other options and it's still not easy.
- How well did his replacement Godfrey do?
- I wouldn't say that this player is doing something phenomenal, but he is doing what Mykolenko did before. I don't think there were high expectations of Godfrey, but he is more integrated into British football. This is despite the fact that Mykolenko initially managed to integrate. In any case, when a team has problems, and Everton has them, some changes are constantly taking place.
- Does Vitaliy have any chances to regain his status as an undoubtedly key player by the end of the season?
- Perhaps, but it will not be easy for Mykolenko to regain his status as a main player. He needs to become more decisive. What I have seen is that he comes out and tries to play cautiously, somewhere he is afraid of mature mistakes, and they are in operational actions.
- How consistent is Lampard's successor in choosing the starting lineup and is he fair to Mykolenko?
- Deitch is a consistent person in general. He did it in Burnley, and he is trying to do it here. It's just a completely different situation - he worked there for a long time, and here he needs to give a quick result. Of course, Everton's financial capabilities also put pressure. It is not only a high salary, but also responsibility. "Everton wants to stay up. There are teams in crisis in the Premier League, but it won't be easy.
- How has Everton changed under Sean Dyche's leadership?
- Dyche's ideas are simple, but they are there. What I saw before with Lampard... It was chaos. He'll pick a starting lineup and then he'll say, "Guys, play the way you want." I'm sure it didn't happen that way, but that's what it looked like in real life.
- How has Mykolenko himself changed over the year in the Premier League?
- Experience. His style of play remains the same as it was at Dynamo. It's all about implementation. When you are in a team that is problematic, like Everton, then somewhere something goes wrong with the players.
- What are Everton's chances of retaining their place in the Premier League and what are their strengths and weaknesses?
- I wouldn't talk about very strong points. The arrival of Dyche is a plus. He brought very simple but clear ideas. Of course, there are chances. Among the competitors are Southampton, Bournemouth, West Ham. There are other teams that play quite poorly. You need to gain some points and believe that your competitors will play even worse.
- Can we say that Mykolenko has made it in European football? Even if Everton are relegated, will there be demand for him on the market? Which clubs might be interested in the current Mykolenko?
- They know him, they have seen him. He started quite well. He is already known in England - and this is a very important thing. At the end of the season, he will be in the Premier League for a year and a half. This is a long time. As for the clubs, he can stay in the Premier League, because Everton is a team that will not be relegated for a long time. The level of ambition and capabilities is too strong for the team to play there for a long time.
Yevhen Chepur