There is no way Chelsea is a step down from BVB. It can be argued that Chelsea offers better players, coaching and competition. If the two teams played home and aways this year, with Pulisic playing for Chelsea instead of BVB, I'd make Chelsea the favorite.
Have you seen CFC this year? BvB would wax them over two legs. I know they added Higuaín but he looks fat and old. His backup is Giroud. That’s it. Those are their strikers. They have the worlds best CDM and decided to let him play a #8. Hazard had been back to “bored housecat” mode since November. I don’t think it would be close.
Complete and utter rubbish, the fact that YOU think that Englishmen are somehow obsessive about Pulisic's nationalilty says an awful lot more about YOU and how YOU perceive yourself as an American - here is some news for you - Pulisic will get treated NO DIFFERENTLY from ANY other player because of his nationality - FACT, English fans couldn't give a flying one about where he is from - they WILL only care about his performances, he will be open to worship or criticism EXACTLY like the other players from elsewhere in the world (including England). So you can get off your 'high horse' about 'American players'.
Just to be clear, I don't think the bias only extends to Englishmen. It's a lot better than it used to be but its still there.
I haven't watched much more than a few minutes but that was my impression as well. Football teams are different in the sense that they need periodic injections of new players. An energetic, young fellow like Pulisic is just what the doctor ordered. BVB didn't lack for energetic young players. They needed steel in defense and they got that in spades with Witzel. Plus they had their energetic, new player in Sancho. At some stage the intangibles rule over the tangibles.
I remember working for a dark skinned boss once and he made some comment about Englishmen and I had to tell him "don't take it personally, the English look down on everybody". To an Englishman, the Swedes are heathen. It's a complex. You have the Prem as king of the mountain and the Brits want to keep it there. They can only maintain that by operating in certain ways like welcoming people of every national origin. At the same time, the heathen must be reminded that they are in the land of Lord Football.
A few things. 1 - BvB don't even have a striker. They are forced to play a midfielder (Gotze) at striker. I am sure they don't mind a full time striker like Giroud or Higuain. Paco is average at best when he starts. 2 - BvB does not play in the EPL. I have high doubts if BvB can manage to be in the top 4 if they are playing in the EPL. Bats couldn't even get a game at Chelsea, yet he scores like it's his breakfast in the BL. 3 - Be ready, because the Spuds are going to run them over in the next 2 CL games.
Dortmund is the best club in the Bundesliga this year, and expected Champions League quarter-finalists, if not semi-finalists. They won their Champions League group. Chelsea is not even in the Champions League. Chelsea barely hangs on to 4th place in the Premiership. Come on, it's an easy case to make. Chelsea has been a top club and won the Champions League, but there's no question that Dortmund is better right now. It's no slight of Chelsea.
How ironic that you complain about Englishmen by branding ALL Englishmen the way you do! You seem to be the one with the prejudice not 'Englishmen'.
The same Spurs that struggled to beat Fulham the other day because their best 2 players are out until March and are starting *checks notes* Fernando Llorente at striker, currently? They aren't beating anyone right now on Dortmund's level. BvB play with a false 9 by design and are leading their league. Spurs will be fortunate to hang on to 4th. That aggregate scoreline will be +2 goals for BvB.
I actually thing Spuds is a bad match-up for Dortmund due to their style. While I'd bet on them to roll over Chelsea, I'd say a home-way series vs. Tottenham is going to be tight.
Compare / contrast... Pulisic Jan 2019 to Chelsea for GBP 58 million vs Andy Carroll Jan 2011 to Liverpool for GBP 35 million
How many posts? Were they by the same people? You sure they weren't taking the piss? What message board? I ask because I follow a lot of Liverpool media (for obvious reasons) and the general feeling among Liverpool fans I interacted with as well as from Podcasts and articles was excitement around the Pulisic transfer. The only time his nationality came up was related to him having the same nationality as our owners which might make the transfer even more likely. I never once heard or read someone being skeptical about it because he was an American. Quite the opposite his experience on the national team, and more importantly his position as a critical player for the US were brought up as positives. Now more recently there was more skepticism from Liverpool fans around him. But this was around his drop in goal production last season and his inability to get past Jaden Sancho on the depth chart this season. When the transfer to Chelsea finally went through few Liverpool fans complained, but that has nothing to do with Pulisic and a lot more to do with an unwavering faith in our transfer committee and a genuine questioning why a player who isn't started regularly in the Bundesliga is worth that much money.
BvB is on track to win the league. Chelsea isn’t even in the European places. They’re getting shellacked regularly now. BvB is alive in the UCL. Chelsea is not. It’s lookong like Pulisic will have jumped from a solid sub spot with the German champions and maybe eruopean champions for a spot with a mid table English side with no European play in order to play with a coach who almost certainly won’t still be there. With Chelsea imploding, I won’t be surprised to see a lot of the top players leave for teams with european football next year. The wheels are quickly coming off this move
Oh please. At the top End the EPL isn’t any better than the BL. Four ucl teams v three. It’s not like the Premier League is La Liga.
I said it and I repeat it: footballwise, it's a downward move. But, of course, muh Engerland, and all that, so people here won't believe me. Also, as I noted from the first day, Pulisic is a system player. Sarri's system was one where he could fit well. With Sarri nearly gone, the chances of him being successful will depend greatly on what manager is picked. Puli is not exactly adaptable.
To meet the expectations that have been dumped on him, Pulisic just needs to produce like he did in 2017 for 10+ years with the U.S., or lead the U.S. to deep runs in major tournaments. Becoming the crossover U.S. star through sustained club excellence would be amazing, but it's not necessary for him to be a success. We've had plenty of American players star at clubs like Everton, Roma, Tottenham, and Schalke.
Pulisic has looked like one of the best u20 players in the world while playing for a half-dozen or so managers. He does better in some formations than others but calling him a system player is a bit much. I mean, put James Harden off the ball and he doesn’t score 40 a night, but that doesn’t mean he’s a system player.
Some of the best players in the world have been system players. Messi is a system player, that's why Argentina has to adapt to him and he won't leave Barcelona. And the coach there has to fit him, Tata (in spite of being a family friend) was a poor fit for him. Being a "system player" only means that in order to thrive the player needs the team to be built a certain way. Adaptability is not one of the traits in the player's repertoire. That's all.