That his price is inflated doesn't mean his price is the only one inflated. I just hope not to see articles like these about our guy in a year: https://www.calciomercato.com/en/news/barca-to-swap-ramsey-for-e105m-star-71583 https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...5/Ousmane-Dembele-96m-flop-far-Barcelona.html https://sport360.com/article/footba...-dembele-is-la-liga-201718-flop-of-the-season https://ronaldo.com/football-news/the-reasons-for-dembeles-most-recent-dip-in-form/ And yes, Dembélé is, at this point, considered a flop. Don't even mention him, he can bring the jinx.
He’s going to England so his press will be more like this... https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/5739144/ex-everton-landon-donovan-peeing-tree/ https://people.com/celebrity/landon-donovan-got-british-woman-pregnant-report/
Hope not. Griezmann is getting stick too, btw. The situation is different with players that have already proved themselves, which is the case with Griezmann (19 goals per season average with Atletico in La Liga). Tony got a lot more rope than any kid just waiting to prove something. The important for me is to be honest and to say when things are not going well, not just pretend like we did with Jozy ("he pulls defenders away so the others can assist and score...") until we just couldn't keep pretending. Right now Puli needs to watch where his mates are. Dribbling without awareness is not that good. He never quite got the hang of it at Dortmund.
He is 20 and fast as hell. His teammates are behind him and he knows it. He’ll link up more as he ages but he’s currently a guy who stretches the field and keeps the guy responsible for him from ever getting into the attack. And yes, even now, he’s worth every penny they paid for him. Not only because of what he’s currently worth on the field, but also because of what he will be worth in a few years.
To put things in perspective. Neither the $142M Dembele nor the $136M Griezman looks any better in this game. But again, you're all talking about a meaningless friendly. Let's give the guy a full season before you grade him. He has some nice runs, finishing could be better. Let's see how he fits in with this team after 2-3 months together in real games.
Wonder why Chelski paid so much for him if he needs so much development? Being honest may be important to you, but it appears to many of us that being a wet blanket is what is most important to you.
I know I don't need to say this, since most of you know it, but I am going to say it anyway. I am very super smart. I can predict that most players will not be superstars. So if one does, it is the exception proving the rule about my smartness. Argue that, plebes! You are all system players, and I AM THE SYSTEM. @AutoPenalti : don't guess, watch the games. Or have the sense to know whose opinions might be more honest than others. Hint: negative is not the same as honest.
Then he has to learn to wait for his slower mates, since he cannot do everything himself. Or at least plan to lay the ball off behind him to someone rushing in unmarked. Being so fast that you usually end up isolated is not smart.
The last part of this game is his finishing. If he can improve on the over the next few years he will be an absolute monster
Lol this thread is going to be such a train wreck between the two groups. I guess the only time enmity will stop is when he is injured (and it will be a lot
I think if he's played on the left he will get more goals since his right foot is better at shooting and his left is good enough for crosses. He hasn't played there a lot lately though but always thought he looked best there early at Dortmund. He was the guy who could play anywhere though so he never got to play consistently in his best spot.
damn folks - 25 minutes against Kawasaki, 58 minutes against Barca (who themselves are in training) .... flying all over the place 10 days after last USMNT duty .... learning his new teammates and squad ... he looks just fine - like a key part of the future Chelsea squad and getting into their system. he had some flashes of speed some good attacking play he disappeared at times .. connected ok with some of his teammates could have applied some more pressure at times how old is he? oh yes he is 20 missed a chance or two that he needs to do better some of the 1st team players came on (Alonso and Barkley etc.) after he left the field .. Abraham looked rather poor and I would have hoped that he and Pulisic attacked better in tandem .... but damn this is still just pre season ... can we stop hyper ventilating about it?
Don't understand why people are saying Puli had a below average game...I watched the game and thought he did well..with the exception being his finishing. He was much better than Pedro, Dembele and Griezman who didn't do much.
He is very good on the ball right now and one of the best dribblers around. He's fast and skillful and a real handful for any defense. But yeah, he still needs to get better with his final ball, be that a pass or a shot, and combining with his teammates. The good part of it all to me is that players are more likely to learn things that basically come down to tactics and experience with time. If you aren't quick and skillful at 20, you're never going to be. Pulisic still has plenty to learn, but the good thing is that what he needs to improve are exactly the types of things players do tend to show significant improvement on. The things you either have or don't by 20, he has. No guarantee he'll pick up the rest, but its a lot more likely a highly skilled player at a young age learns better how to use those skills than our usual hope for US players that they someone learn the skill part.
From BBC.com FWIW, the Guardian only states that Lampard was "delighted" with the team performance; no names mentioned and that Valverde was impressed with Griezmann. My 2 cents re Pulisic performance--yes, he could have done better finishing; I expect him to do so in the future. But, he also should be given credit for his powerful shot the keeper could not hold and that dropped at the feet of Abraham who missed a gimmee. If CP continues creating that much space for himself, Lampard should give him 2 hr/day homework watching video of Thierry Henry scoring goals from the left side. When all is said and done, CP was the most consistently creative attacker on the field.
You guys do know that an english/scotish born yank started for dormund at the age of 16 two days ago? His name is giovanni reyna. Named after giovanni von bronckhorst the famous dutch leftback who played at rangers? Cant we argue about how american this kid "may" be instead of adnasuem pulisic repetition? Anyways reyna is in the yanks academy thread so get on the bandwagon early!
Impressive. A country of 250mm plus people has fielded one champions league caliber player in the last 2 decades. Fantastic work by CP and his family to push past the unbelievably staggering mediocrity of football in the US. Pedro is done. Willian is near done. Kennedy is a massively talented basket case . CP will get a lot of minutes in Lumpies David Moyes turn at Chelsea. Don't go down with the ship baby.