Talovierov’s Debut Evaluated by Stoke City Coach — Ukrainian Became Best in Unusual Position by Several Metrics

Stoke City overcame Portsmouth in the 12th round of Championship — 1:0.

Maksym Talovierov

Ukrainian defender Maksym Talovierov, who had only previously played in a cup match, was in the starting lineup for the hosts. The Ukrainian played the entire match and created a dangerous moment.

Interestingly, Talovierov played in a highly unusual position for himself as a right fullback, where he had not played before. Stoke City coach Mark Robins commented on the Ukrainian’s debut for the new club in the Championship.

«Maxi, coming onto the field, played very well. I think it was exactly the type of match that suited him. He not only performed well in the first half, but when he received the ball, he tried to play it down the flank to relieve pressure,» Stoke-on-Trent Live quotes Robins.

Notably, the statistical portal Sofascore rated Talovierov’s performance at a high 7.2. In addition, the Ukrainian made the most defensive actions in the match among all players — 16. Maksym also had the most touches (86), tackles (2), and clearances (11).