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Mauricio Pochettino explains why he hopes playing crossbar challenge with Mykhailo Mudryk will help Chelsea star improve form.
In an effort to boost Mykhailo Mudryk’s confidence, Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that the two of them have been playing crossbar challenges.
Mudryk left Shakhtar Donetsk for the Blues in January in a transfer that might have cost up to £89 million, although he is yet to register his first goal for the team. Only two assists have been recorded by the winger in his 22 games.
The 22-year-old is now receiving one-on-one attention from Pochettino as he tries to pull Chelsea out of their recent rut. The team has only one victory this year, and they will play Brighton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday before playing Fulham again this weekend in the Premier League.
Playing crossbar challenges with Mudryk, according to Pochettino, is essential for boosting his self-assurance.
He said, “With Mudryk, I like to play sometimes to [hit] the crossbar from outside the box.
“He said to me, ‘I don’t want to play anymore with you because you always win.’ I said ‘yes, because I have the belief, and the balance between belief and quality I know very well because I’m 50 years old. You’re still young and you need to know yourself’.
“Today [Tuesday] was the first day we draw, because I always won. Now you start to believe in yourself, believe in your quality. If not, it’s difficult to balance belief and quality.”
On Wednesday against Brighton, Mudryk hopes to play.