31 Jul 2026 17:38:35
The FA charges now concluded: £10 million fine and, as an additional punishment, Mudryk has had his ban reduced to “time served”.
Seriously, I don’t know what we are going to do with Mudryk. He was awful. I can’t see a place for him in the squad.
31 Jul 2026 18:19:10
I think a loan would serve everyone involved very well.
The Happy Hammers require a wide player or maybe our sister club.
31 Jul 2026 18:21:02
Jimbo
It could be that he feels he has been given a second chance and we might see a very good player come back to us at some point.
31 Jul 2026 18:26:26
I think it might well be Strasbourg, Tom.
31 Jul 2026 18:32:42
Bill, very fair of you, but as I said, he was awful; he hasn't played or trained for a couple of years. Pumping iron isn't going to turn him into a decent player.
31 Jul 2026 19:59:27
A change of scenery might help.
31 Jul 2026 20:42:14
Mudryk, in my opinion, is a player with no football brain. He is proof that pace on its own isn't enough.
Maybe a loan, or he could be used as a kind of impact substitute.
31 Jul 2026 21:06:27
The annoying thing is that if the way they are testing now was the same when he got caught up in this mess, he would have passed the test.
31 Jul 2026 21:31:26
Yes, the testing levels are different now. Still doesn't alter the fact that he's an awful player. ?
31 Jul 2026 21:31:57
Bill, a professional footballer shouldn't need "supplements". Any supplements should be extra time on the training ground. I doubt he got them from Holland and Barrett. He has let the club down and, frankly, I want to see the back of him.
31 Jul 2026 21:45:16
I still haven't got a clue if Mudryk knowingly took a supplement, but the fact is, traces were found when a sample was requested.
I also have no idea if certain supplements are needed or allowed, not only in football but in any sport.
If they are needed, I assume it's only allowed under supervision.
31 Jul 2026 22:27:39
I hope MM is able to come back from this disastrous episode in his life and career, and perhaps a loan to Strasbourg the best first step for him. By all accounts he struggled to adapt to being away from his family, several of whom were fighting the Russian invasion of his country... so perhaps a sense of some guilt there too. In that first debut cameo, he looked a pretty promising footballer - he had a fair bit of skill, not just pace - versus Liverpool at Anfield. But after that he only managed 5 goals in c 30 EPL matches, I think, in his debut season, plus a couple of assists.
After the first season he obviously struggled to get EPL games, though he managed 3 goals in 4 Conference League games, for what that's worth. But I may have been mad, or too sympathetic towards the lad and/or the fact he may have felt the pressure of needing to succeed not just for himself but for his benighted, Putin-invaded compatriots, and I still hoped he could succeed. He did score 5 times more EPL goals than Delap and Gittens combined (total between them of 44 games).
31 Jul 2026 22:30:50
If he took the test now, the amount that was in his body would be traced, so, for me, he hasn’t let the club down; he’s been professional about it all. For me, he wasn’t rubbish; he was raw, and his speed is frightening.
With control and training, I think he will be good. Neto was the same: fast, ran in a straight line, and most of you liked him. I think Misha will be better.
31 Jul 2026 22:42:44
I tend to agree with you, Nib. The trace of the drug he took is now officially considered to be legal and ineffective in terms of enhancing performance.
Compare that with the tennis champ Sinner, who merely got a 3 month suspension for use of far more potent anabolic steroid use.
But it's now a big ask for the lad to have to start his career over again, having had just a debut season and three months or so of a second season with CFC. Good luck to him.
31 Jul 2026 22:51:38
I 100% agree with JBS and Nib1907. MM is a real talent, but needs guidance. I was at Anfield for his debut and he was unplayable. For anyone who doubts that lad's talent, give your head a wobble.
01 Aug 2026 08:38:23
Incredibly naturally gifted player. Speed for days, and the ability to strike the ball perfectly with both feet. Decision making was naive, but capable of brilliance at times.
Always felt he lacked conviction. Lacked the mental belief. Also, factor in that he came to Chelsea at the start of the Russia + Ukraine war, and found it difficult to settle.
Clearly shy by nature, most of his battles were mental.
Is there a player in there? 1000%. Could Alonso unlock something that previous (mainly awful managers) couldn't? Perhaps.
Would love him to succeed. Whether at Chelsea or on loan.
Always had a soft spot for him. Not sure what happens with him, but everyone loves a comeback story in sport and a second chance in life.
01 Aug 2026 08:53:40
As I posted earlier, I think a loan, maybe with a break clause, would be best for all concerned.
We tend to forget that players are just people who also have concerns. We have no idea what mental anxiety the lad must be going through as his country is being bombed continuously. It's the same for all the players who have families in these conflict countries.
01 Aug 2026 09:20:49
The other thing to take into consideration is that this happened on international duty, and who knows what Putin's mobile does.
01 Aug 2026 14:49:30
Xabi Alonso on Mudryk:
"I remember watching him at Shakhtar, the impact he had, how good he was in one-v-one situations. He could create a lot of situations on his own. He is a special player. To be honest, we were not expecting to have this great news at this moment, but we were happy."
01 Aug 2026 21:34:32
Good posts, Smokie.