Vitalii Mykolenko: Everton Epitome and Unsung Hero
Vitalii Mykolenko was one of many strugglers in his early days at Everton Football Club.
The Ukrainian was signed by Rafa Benitez, which was certainly a hinderance.
He joined during the January transfer window of the 2021/22 season, when his new side were battling to avoid dropping into the relegation zone. One would assume the atmosphere at the club also didn’t help.
Benitez was wholly horrific while in charge of the Toffees, a sentiment earned pre-Everton which he built on during his tenure and cemented after.
The Spaniard brought and then left an unwavering negativity. The players he signed were associated with his tenure, and it felt as though they were tarnished with a spiteful brush.
Rightfully or wrongfully, in spite of his terrible performances, it was still in the players hands once the whistle was blown.
The 24-year-old cut about Goodison as a nervy figure. He seemed to lack self-belief and the confidence that a defender in the world’s toughest league needs to make it there.
He and every member of the Everton defence he stepped into looked like losers. Every one of them was prone to error and showed this to be the case on many occasions.
Playing alongside Micheal Keane and Ben Godfrey was no aid in helping the full-back settle in Merseyside. Confidence in the group was shot, and these three specifically felt the weight of responsibility.
Of those three, Mykolenko was the one who would eventually come good. He improved marginally under Frank Lampard, but under Sean Dyche he is an entirely different beast.
When the ex-Burnley boss arrived in L4, he transformed the group. It wasn't overnight, but it was clear for all to see that he instilled a direction and certain purpose into the group.
A headstrong individual, the 52-year-old has been fighting the current in the Premier League for a decade now. He is no stranger to a challenge.
It feels as though Dyche’s mentality has resinated with the players at Everton, with a few in particular reaping the benefits of his managerial style.
Take Abdoulaye Doucoure for example. Under Frank Lampard, he practically didn’t exist, and wasn’t someone that he had seen in his plans moving forward.
The Malian international was frozen out, and before Dyche’s appointment, he looked set to depart amidst interest from Fulham.
His new coach showed appreciation for the players abilities. Doucoure ‘sets the scene’ in Dyche’s words, praising his pressing and work ethic following the Toffees’ 3–1 over Brentford earlier in the year.
Doucoure echoes in his praises for Dyche, praising him for the ‘energy and confidence’ which he instilled within the team. Doucoure is a perfect example of the way his manager wants his team to play.
The 30-year-old was rewarded with a new two-year contract in November. His goal contributions have been huge in helping Everton maintain their position in the Premier League.
Dominic Calvert Lewin also has Sean Dyche and his staff to thank for helping him rehabilitate properly from a string of serious injuries which had seen him sidelined for the best part of two years.
Dyche refused to rush the striker back and allowed him to recover properly, and his patience has undoubtedly been rewarded this season.
It is no secret that the manager values fitness, with players only being included once ‘Dyche-fit’, as seen through Calvert-Lewin and earlier in the season through Vitalii Mykolenko.
He struggled with injuries towards the end of last season and was carrying a knock going into this campaign.
In fact, he didn’t complete 90 minutes this season until mid-October. He remained patient and grabbed his chance with both hands.
Defensively, he has built on the solid foundation that he arrived at the club with. He is an old-fashioned full back, as stressed by Dyche, in that he is a defender first and foremost.
As per FBREF, Mykolenko is currently averaging around 3 tackles per game which sees him among the top 10% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues.
He is also in the top 1% for clearances made, the top 7% for interceptions and the top 25% for blocks mate. He is proving to be very accomplished in defending and he is still only 24-years-old.
He has performed excellently against a host of brilliant wingers this season, including Bukayo Saka, Jarrod Bowen and Mohamed Salah. The mistakes he once made frequently have become a rarity.
Playing in close proximity to the brilliant Jarrad Branthwaite will benefit the Ukrainian, too. The young Englishman is fantastic at covering wide spaces which allows Mykolenko to push forward.
This licence to attack has unlocked a part of his game that many accused him of having lacked. He has scored two in his last two games and was unfortunate not to have added another against Crystal Palace last week.
He occupies brilliant wide spaces in attack and links up well with Dwight McNeil on Everton’s left flank.
He embodies what Sean Dyche wants in a defender. He plays every game with bravery and tenacity, in spite of the atrocities taking place in his homeland. He deserves the upmost respect as a professional and as a human being.
