Vitalii Mykolenko impact has skyrocketed under Sean Dyche - and key Everton numbers show it
Vitalii Mykolenko has been a much-improved performer for Everton this season under Sean Dyche
The goal against Brighton & Hove Albion was just the cherry on top of the cake but everyone who has been watching Everton’s matches this season can see that Vitalii Mykolenko has been a new man in recent weeks.
Following his £17million transfer from Dynamo Kyiv on New Year’s Day last year as a replacement for the Aston Villa-bound Lucas Digne, who had endured a well-publicised fall out with manager Rafael Benitez, Mykolenko endured a tumultuous start to life in English football. Benitez himself who had identified Mykolenko as the club’s long-term left-back option was sacked within 24 hours of him making his debut in a 2-1 defeat at the Premier League’s bottom club Norwich City.
The following month Mykolenko’s native Ukraine found itself enveloped into what is already the deadliest conflict in Europe since the Second World War due to Russia’s invasion, with the player later revealing his own father was part of a military unit fighting Vladimir Putin’s forces. Among all of this turmoil, the defender was expected to adapt to life in world football’s toughest domestic division.
READ NEXT: 'Amazing' Seamus Coleman inspiring Everton's younger players as Youssef Chermiti steps up
READ NEXT: Youssef Chermiti offers glimpse of Everton striker he could emulate
Although Mykolenko broke his scoring duck in style for his new club with a spectacular 25-yard volley just six minutes into a game at the King Power Stadium on May 8, 2022, to set Everton on their way to a 2-1 victory over Leicester City for what was their first Premier League away win since the previous August, it’s fair to say that his form at times was still understandably sketchy as he found his feet in his new surroundings. Despite at one point having Ashley Cole – arguably the greatest left-back in Premier League history – as a mentor as first team coach, and don’t forget one of the best of the rest, Leighton Baines, also at Finch Farm looking after Everton’s Under-18s team, Mykolenko would often appear to be labouring, particularly when it came to his positional play.
However, having survived two near-misses with relegation in his first 18 months on these shores, this term the 24-year-old has been one of the Blues’ most-improved players under the stewardship of Sean Dyche and his coaching staff. The records will show that Mohamed Salah bagged a brace for Liverpool in last month’s Merseyside Derby but his first goal came from the penalty spot 15 minutes from the end with his second on the counter attack as the Blues pushed for a late equaliser and the reality was that Mykolenko – who Dyche confirmed had been substituted for tactical reasons by this point – kept the Reds’ dangerman quiet for long periods of the game.
The left-back pushed forward against the Seagulls to double his Everton goals tally with an improvised finish on his weaker right foot but just what has he been doing differently this season? A look at his statistics on Comparisonator enables us to view tangible evidence of his progress.
So far in 2023/24, Mykolenko has increased his scores from 2022/23 in all five of their A.I. Index Parameters used to measure different aspects of footballers’ performances. Their main index has him up from 167.22 to 252.02; his offensive index has skyrocketed from 20.32 to 67.15; his defensive index has increased from 89.92 to 119.31; his duels index has edged up from 18.22 to 18.76 and his passing index improved from 38.75 to 46.82.
In terms of actual numbers, the upturn is displayed in the following ways. Offensive parameters per 90 minutes show there are increases for Mykolenko’s shots (0.28 to 0.78); shots on target (0.09 to 0.39) and shot assists (0.46 to 0.78). He’s participating in more attacking actions (3.42 to 4.04); successful attacking actions (1.29 to 1.95) and successful dribbles (0.46 to 0.65) which is increasing his expected goals from 0.02 to 0.12.
At the other end, Mykolenko is producing more defensive actions (13.38 to 14.33); more successful defensive actions (10.67 to 11.46); ball recoveries (8.91 to 9.64) while his ball losses are slightly down (8.97 to 8.6). When it comes to distribution, while his successful passes are down from 25.13 to 23.57, he’s still doing more with the ball when he’s got it.
There are improvements in successful key passes (0.25 to 0.39); successful long passes (1.91 to 2.21); crosses (1.79 to 2.08) and successful crosses (0.68 to 1.04). There have been compelling mitigating circumstances why it’s taken this long for Mykolenko to blossom but he looks like being another player now benefitting from the methods of Dyche and his team, and tellingly not just when he’s out of possession.
*Comparisonator is a football data comparison tool from 271 professional leagues around the world which compares players and clubs by utilising over 100 different parameters. Click here for more details.