It is safe to say that it has been a turbulent few months for all involved with Everton Football Club.
Chaos, quite simply, has been the order of the day at Goodison Park.
Multiple years of poor recruitment.
Managerial upheaval.
A lack of distinct direction.
They are just three issues Everton’s supporters have had to contend with recently.
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So with all that in mind, you have to feel for Vitalii Mykolenko.
The Ukraine international joined the Blues at the beginning of the January transfer window and was brought to the club by Rafa Benitez prior to his sacking.
Mykolenko was put straight into the starting line-up at the first time of asking for the Blues' trip to face Hull City in the FA Cup at the start of January.
The left-back played the full 120 minutes as Benitez's side came out of the tie with a 3-2 victory, thanks to Andros Townsend's rocket in extra-time.
Mykolenko admitted after the game that he had a shaky beginning to his first appearance in an Everton shirt, but the rest of the squad supported him and helped him to focus on the task at hand.
The defender then endured a Premier League baptism of fire a week later as he started in the 2-1 defeat to Norwich City that proved to be Benitez’s final game in charge of the club.
By that point however, the Blues were in turmoil and things had turned toxic. The supporters were not only calling for Benitez to be sacked, but had turned on the club’s board too.
So, a penny for the thoughts of Mykolenko. In the country only a couple of weeks, still learning the language and now wondering what the future holds.
The situation would be enough to test the resolve of even the most experienced of players, let alone a youngster who has never played his club football outside of Ukraine before.
But after missing the defeat to Aston Villa, Mykolenko returned for the win over Brentford in the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon.
The arrival of Frank Lampard has been seen by many involved with the club as the start of a new era and the chance to wipe the slate clean.
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After a couple of tough outings for the Blues, Mykolenko looked much more assured against the Bees, despite being asked to play a floating role.
When in possession, Everton operated in a 3-4-3 formation, then when Brentford regained possession, the Blues changed to a 4-3-3 system with Mykolenko playing at left-back.
But the Ukrainian simply did everything asked of him, and although he often struggled to offer an attacking option in the first half, he was much better going forward in the second period.
It would be wrong to expect too much from the full-back in the opening weeks of his Everton career, as time is most definitely needed when it comes to his development.
But that development should be aided by the arrivals of Leighton Baines and Ashley Cole to the Blues’ coaching staff.
In terms of role models and modern greats, there has perhaps been none better than the pair in their position since the Premier League started.
While Mykolenko should also benefit from a good amount of game time for the Blues in the coming weeks and months given he is the only recognised left-back at the club.
Another massive benefit for the development of the youngster is having Lampard as his manager.
Of course the 43-year-old was a midfielder and not a full-back, but he has played, and managed, clubs who would regularly sign players from around the world.
As a result, Lampard has first-hand experience and understands that it takes time for players to adapt to life in the Premier League and living in England.
So, with two modern day icons to learn from, plenty of game time to look forward to, and a manager who understands the demands, the future is looking bright for Mykolenko, who has the perfect platform to learn and develop at Everton.
