Mauricio Pochettino’s Post-Match Comments About Mykhailo Mudryk Draw Criticism From Emmanuel Petit

Chelsea legend Emmanuel Petit has criticised Mauricio Pochettino for his post-match comments about Mykhailo Mudryk after Sunday’s goalless draw away at Bournemouth. The Ukraine international was brought into the starting XI as Pochettino looked to bring greater attacking threat to his side, with Ben Chilwell the player who made way.

Mudryk, who is still yet to score for the west Londoners, had a relatively lively performance but after the game his manager said he ‘still needs to learn in the Premier League’. Petit feels it was a little harsh of Pochettino to single out Mudryk, particularly with the entire team struggling at the start of the new season, and suspects it will not have gone down well with the 22-year-old.

Petit: Pochettino Should Look at Other Players Too

‘Mudryk isn’t the only one struggling in that team so pointing at him in the press will not help him at all because he’s not playing with confidence,’ Petit told Betway.

‘He will be thinking, “Why is my manager saying I don’t understand the way I should be playing in the Premier League?” This is a bad sign for Mudryk and I’m pretty sure he will be on the bench next time against Aston Villa.

‘Next time Pochettino says something like that he should look at other players too because the Bournemouth game was not Mudryk’s fault. Chelsea could have played for a week and wouldn’t have scored, there is no connection between the players because they are not speaking the same language. I was bored watching the game.’

Mudryk’s Role Not Suited to His Skillset

Petit feels the role being asked of Mudryk does not quite suit his skillset either, saying: ‘You can see with foreign players in the Premier League that they can struggle, not many thrive straight away.

‘The physical demands including speed is huge, you only have one or two seconds to think before you receive the ball. It’s a paradox because Mudryk’s qualities include speed and power with the ball, but he’s struggling.

‘Mudryk is always playing with his back to goal, he should be running at them instead just like Jeremy Doku did for Manchester City against West Ham. He received the ball, turned and ran at his opponents – and he scored! Mudryk doesn’t do that despite his speed.’

Conclusion

Mauricio Pochettino’s post-match comments about Mykhailo Mudryk have drawn criticism from Chelsea legend Emmanuel Petit. Petit believes that Pochettino should have looked at other players too as the entire team struggled against Bournemouth and that Mudryk’s role is not suited to his skillset. It remains to be seen if Mudryk will be dropped for next week’s game against Aston Villa.