Sean Dyche is trying to build an Everton squad capable of shining in the Premier League, but one player could have no future at Goodison Park, according to journalist Paul Brown.
Is Everton’s squad strong enough?
The Blues have had a tough few years in the top flight, enduring back-to-back relegation battles and ultimately surviving by a narrow margin on both occasions. It was imperative that Dyche made some important signings during the summer transfer window, particularly in attack, with goals coming at a premium for too long.
Everton appear to have made a couple of key additions in that area of the pitch, with loan signing Arnaut Danjuma and permanent arrival Beto both having an impact in the 2-2 draw away to Sheffield United, and it’s fair to say they look astute additions so far.
That was the Blues’ first point of the season, however, and further improvements are needed, but it was clearly a step in the right direction, with fellow new signing Jack Harrison due to come into the fold before too long.
There are then players who could be deemed surplus to requirements moving forward, however, and a key update has emerged regarding one such individual.
What’s been said about Vitaliy Mykolenko?
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Brown claimed that Mykolenko is struggling to impress Dyche currently and could be potentially be moved on in the near future:
“If we break it down, I think Patterson is much better going forward than he is defensively. I think he makes bad decisions at times and his positioning is questionable. I think Young has been caught out too often already at full-back.
“I think he’s beaten off the dribble quite a lot and hasn’t really looked the kind of solid experienced pro that I think Dyche was hoping to bring in there. Mykolenko, in a similar way to Patterson, is probably better going forward than he is on the other side of the game. I don’t really feel like his Everton career has ever got off the ground.
“It doesn’t seem like Dyche trusts him really, he just doesn’t seem like a Sean Dyche full-back. So we may see less of him than we would have done under another manager. But I do think all three are struggling a bit at the moment and need to improve.”
Mykolenko has been a disappointing signing for Everton overall, having arrived from Dynamo Kiev last year, only scoring once and not registering a single assist in 52 appearances for the club. This displays a real lack of attacking quality from left-back, and shows exactly why Dyche doesn’t rate him.
The 24-year-old has only appeared in the EFL Cup this season, with not a single minute of Premier League action coming his way, and while he does possess quality on his day, it is pointless keeping hold of a player for valued by the manager.
Frank Lampard has called Mykolenko “outstanding” in the past, following a good performance up against Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, but it makes perfect sense to move him on in the January transfer window if a solid replacement can be found.