Christian Pulisic at AC Milan

You know that, and I know that, but does he have to know that?

If you don't want him or think he's just surplus, let him go. But if you want to keep him for two more years, and there are competing offers, decide what you're willing to pay and pay it out over three years. It's only money, and not mine at that.

 

I agree that Willian tracks back better than CP. The rest of your assessment of CP's overall defensive effort seems to fit him 7 months ago. Not now. We disagree. I will refrain from characterizing my view as "fact."

 

Does Pulisic start tomorrow? (Sorry - i don’t know if there is a poll feature on BS).
I’d say it’s 50-50. If William and Kante are healthy, it may come down to Mount or CP losing out and taking a bench seat. And we know who Frank prefers. And he wouldn’t drop Mount after that Wolves performance.

 

Pulisic season GCA per 90 min = .68, tied with Rashford and Alexander-Arnold @ 5th in the league. (Mahrez has run away with that stat at 1.39.) Since restart CP's GCA per 90 = 1.11.

Pulisic season SCA per 90 min = 4.13, good for 12th in the league. (Willian is the only Chelsea player ahead of him at 5.02/6th.) All players above CP on the list take set piece kicks.

Of course, these are "per 90" data. I imagine that IF he is a regular starter next year, with the new arrivals, his assist numbers will go up significantly.

 

I think you may be right. Which begs the question; if CP has dominated since the restart, and can’t even get a start in this cup final situation based on his form, I don’t see how he is going to start next season with 2-3 new star additions. Hopefully he can still have an impact tomorrow, regardless if that is a start or a sub appearance

 

What is SCA and GCA?

 

Goal creating actions and shot creating actions — basically including acts upstream of the shot or goal.

 

Fair question, but you can sort of read/hear between the lines in CP interviews and demeanor that he knows the lay of the land, and is adjusting. I think he knows that he can be among the very elite players given a fair shot. I suspect that the numbers will matter eventually more than whatever else is going on.

 

Will be interesting to see if CP maintains this level of production over the course of 2000+ league minutes, because that's something that he hasn't done yet.

 

All such probabilities are 50-50 - either CP will start tomorrow or he won't.

 

Let's return to this question when we come up for air next week. I think a rotation of attacking players next season is a certainty. How that rotation is managed is the big question.

But for tomorrow's Final, if it goes 120 minutes, would you rather CP play the first 60' or the final 60' + penalty kicks?

 

Rednecks aren’t getting college football this year, they’ll need something.

 

yes. He’d have play that many minutes in order for us to find out.

 

Schroedingers Chelsea left wing

 

Right. And he has before for BVB... but only the one time.

Will be interesting to see if CP locks down the LW for starter minutes opposite Werner/Ziyech, or if Frank rotates.
Also the real reason his minutes on the whole have been low, his fitness. Can he stay healthy?

Glad we'll be back in less than a couple months to get some of these answers.

 

We will get answers as to what he can produce per minute. If he doesn’t get starter minutes I suppose we will all be here drawing different inferences as to why, and some will suggest that their inferences are the only reasonable ones. Rinse and repeat.

 

Willian puts in a great shift defensively I get why Lamps doesn’t want him to go but we need better from attacking positions. I also wouldn’t set a new precedent and cave to him getting 3 years. There’s also the issue that he’s shown poor attitude when asked to come off the bench or be a bit player in the past. I’d stand firm on the ground. Me made an offer take it or leave it. Rest is on him. It’s about more than money.

 

Mr. Blonde is drawing up the team sheet.

 

I agree...Offering 3 years to a 32 year old who only scored 5 times in open-play is too far.

On top of that, Chelsea has forwards Zayech, Werner and Harvetz coming in...Than CHO who they need to find time for....

 

They could always take up reading.

 

From an ESPN article

Will Christian Pulisic be able to make an impact? He has 10 goals this season in all competitions for Chelsea (nine in Premier League, one in Champions League), his most ever in a single season. The U.S. attacker has 17 goal contributions in total (10 goals, seven assists) in all competitions for the Blues, too -- only Tammy Abraham (21) and Willian (20) have more for Frank Lampard's side this season. Pulisic can also become the third American player, all-time, to win the FA Cup if Chelsea win this weekend: the second player was longtime U.S. and Everton goalkeeper, Tim Howard, who won with Manchester United in 2003-04. As for the first? Julian Sturgis, a poet and novelist who claimed the trophy in 1873 when amateur side Wanderers FC defeated Oxford University 2-0.

 

[QUOTE="TimB4Last, post: 38840126, member: 80019"

But for tomorrow's Final, if it goes 120 minutes, would you rather CP play the first 60' or the final 60' + penalty kicks?[/QUOTE]

In a dream scenario, he’d start, play a full 90, and have a goal and assist in a CFC win. But if I had to choose from the options you presented, I’d have him come on in the 60th minute and play through extra time, and make a penalty in the shootout to win the trophy.
But I am not confident that Pulisic is a strong penalty taker, although there is not a Large sample size. I’m in the crowd that believes Pulisic is already the best USMNT player ever, but the one thing Donovan may have him beat on is penalties. LD could reliably score from the spot.

If it comes down to penalties, My guess is Lampard would want Willian, Jorginho, Barkley, Mount, and Kova to be the 5 elected takers (if they are still on the pitch). After that, who knows.

 

Ziyech and Kai will spend time at the 10 and wing but Timo will also spend time at the wing and ST. That’s 5 players for 2 spots with 3 playing multiple positions tho Ziyech might just be a wing in the EPL. Either way that’s plenty of comp. The salary Willian wants can be better spent.

 

Once upon a time, the FA Cup Final was a really big game, and on a real TV station...