Christian Pulisic is staying at Chelsea, to the dismay of USMNT Twitter. For the talented American the new Premier League season has started where the last one ended, with him on the bench. That being said Pulisic has played in all four of Chelsea’s matches as a substitute but played one game as a wingback. The performances have been lukewarm to say the least.
For many pundits and USMNT fans it seems like a catastrophe that Pulisic is not starting at Chelsea, and while it is disappointing for the ever-competitive Pulisic it is not the end of the world. Given the poor form of Chelsea’s attacking players it is only a matter of time that Pulisic will return to the starting lineup.
Still, one would think that Pulisic is being sent a message, but then again, all the attackers are being sent a message with the constant influx of players being signed by the club, with no real plan as to who starts and who doesn’t.
How Christian Pulisic can make the most of his time at Chelsea
It is very important for Christian Pulisic to keep a cool head, something that was not present when he walked off the field without applauding the away supporters in The Blues 2-1 loss to Southampton. It’s a war the American international will not win, he is already a player attacked by the Chelsea fanbase on social media, it won’t be to his favor to ‘fight’ with the fans.
Christian Pulisic of Chelsea is challenged by Adam Armstrong of Southampton (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
On the field and given the poor form of Mason Mount, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Kai Havertz, and Hakim Ziyech one would expect Pulisic to get a chance against West Ham. Kai Havertz will have to worry about Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang but playing in the positions held by Loftus-Cheek or Ziyech is very doable for Pulisic.
Thomas Tuchel changes his lineup and tactics constantly and this has caused the team to look disorganized and inconsistent. When Tuchel does not get what he wants from his starters, bench players come in fairly quickly, and while Pulisic has been underwhelming in the games he has played, a start could be the boost the player needs.
Christian Pulisic transfer and the World Cup
While pundits and fans were “shocked” Pulisic did not move from Chelsea in the summer, the reality was there were no real offers for the American. The American media defined the transfer rejections as “blocking” a move, but no report has surfaced as to what Manchester United or Newcastle United were willing to give for Pulisic, Chelsea is not keen in moving a talented player to a direct rival, and that makes a lot of sense.
The rumors of Juventus and AC Milan were simply that, rumors nothing materialized, and while fans will think Pulisic might be in limbo, playing minutes at Chelsea and a looming World Cup the objective is clear. Pulisic must have a good World Cup to get himself over and get teams to put up the money that Chelsea wants.
The summer transfer market showed us teams are not willing to shell out big transfers on players in difficult situations, AC Milan only got USMNT teammate Sergiño Dest on loan and Denis Zakaria came to Chelsea on loan from Juventus. These loan moves were a constant during the summer window, much more high profile than ever before.
For Pulisic it’s about working hard and making the most of his limited chances, the World Cup is the biggest stage to move on and it’s only three months away. There are no conspiracy theories or anti- Americanisms, Thomas Tuchel has a history of being a difficult manager, who never sets anything in stone and Chelsea is a club that throws away good players like they are candy, but we knew that three years ago when Chelsea spent a preposterous transfer fee to sign Pulisic in the first place.
