Everton have seen a huge upturn in form since Sean Dyche took over.
The no-nonsense manager, who took over from Frank Lampard’s directionless regime, immediately instilled a rigid system in the former Burnley man along with a solid fitness regime to ensure everyone was ready for the challenge ahead.
Some wilted and have since left, but those who stayed have done wonders in transforming the Toffees from a side devoid of passion and energy into a well-oiled machine full of individuals willing to give their all for their team-mates.
Dyche deserves all the credit in the world, especially for how he took some players who were deemed unfit for purpose and turned their careers around.
Few embody this metamorphosis more than Vitaliy Mykolenko.
Wayne Rooney praises Vitali Mykolenko
He signed from Dynamo Kyiv during Rafael Benitez’s ill-fated tenure and his purchase was one of the last decisions before the Spaniard was sacked and Lampard brought in.
And at first it seemed like a cruel parting gift.
He struggled as a one-on-one defensive player who was often skipped over by his opponent, but lacked real attacking intelligence or technical quality. Many wondered where the £20 million fee came from.
But last season we finally saw the inner potential that Wayne Rooney would have attempted to describe when he spoke about the left-back ahead of Ukraine’s crucial European Championship clash with Belgium last night.
He told the BBC: “Yes, I think he’s gradually improved at Everton. There were some questions about him at the start of his career at Everton, but I think he’s done really well for Everton in the last two years.
He was a mainstay in the team and I know he kept Zinchenko, he played in midfield for Ukraine, but to keep him out of the team is doing something right. He is an important player, certainly for Ukraine, but he was also an important player for Everton.
Vitaliy Mykolenko is Everton’s most improved player
While he wasn’t completely useless in his first six months at Goodison Park, there were glaring flaws in his game.
Failing to deliver a cross, just 20% of his efforts found the man, while he could only manage 1.9 clearances and 2.1 clearances per game.
It also seemed that when the ball reached his side, attacks were stymied by his inability to run with the ball, completing a miserable 33% of his dribbles.
But while the difference isn’t exactly earth-shattering, the marked improvement compared to the last Premier League campaign is evident.
His dribbling accuracy has now increased to 23%, as have his tackles, now 2.5 per game, and his tackles, 2.9 per game.
The biggest boost though is his confidence on the ball as he now averages 62% successful dribbles per game. This all-round progress explains why many argued at one point that Mykolenko was Everton’s player of the season.
If he maintains this trajectory, it is unknown how important the 25-year-old, who also scored twice last season, could become.