I get that his transfer was record breaking for a keeper but he was only a starter for a mid-table Bilbao side so it's not as if he needed Monster wages in order to decide to join Chelsea. Chelsea seemingly throws cash at everything regardless of worth.
Mendy is big time, btw. Like...all-time great ability. He’s the first Chelsea player who stood out for me.
"you want someone who is lucky or good?" "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" Lucius Annaeus Seneca
If you were Abramovich, which would you rather? Pay Kepa, play Kepa and lose the game or pay Kepa, NOT play Kepa and win the game? Pretty clear decision to me. No balls needed, frankly. (pun intended)
My wife said Pulisic's failure to shave and the consequent beard growth were to counterbalance the lack of manliness in the uniforms.
After his bicycle whiff, he puts his hands up (at 0:30) as if to say "Oops, screwed up, sorry!" Then he makes a face and does what I interpret as "Aaw what? Whatever, give me a break!", as if a teammate was giving him grief. How do yawl see it?
The ref judged that he made contact when he whiffed and therefore ruled a goal kick rather than a corner, I think his frustration was directed at the match official.
It's a tough argument to make because to win he has to claim he missed entirely. Players do that all the time, of course, it's a well-trained reflex, and here the embarrassment is from the obvious failure to connect as intended, not from the difference between a slight touch and none at all.
Frank responds... 👀🇺🇸 Frank Lampard on Jesse Marsch saying that the Chelsea manager didn't truly appreciate Christian Pulisic's talent: "I did read those comments and I was surprised Jesse was able to read my mind as well as he thought he did..." #CFC #USMNT https://t.co/4Z8hsuSDGY— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) October 29, 2020
LOL. In all seriousness... I think Frank might have underrated him at the beginning of last season... but after the mini-run he went on around the time he got his hat trick I think Frank understood his quality. Any questions left over were certainly answered after the covid break. Since then it has been about managing his health and maximizing his return. The schedule is so congested and they spent a ton of money on new attacking weapons. It makes sense to keep their O players fresh thru rotation. I expect if CP can stay healthy thru the tough holiday schedule that Frank will continue to increase the minutes he is getting. Right now... if he starts 2 out of 3 and is subbed in the vast majority of those games he starts on the bench then I will be a happy camper. I actually think CP will thrive w/ a decent amount of rest.
I found this comment odd from Frank: "That is not me jumping on Jesse, because I think there is a bigger issue there with American players, I will let him field that one himself." Oh really Frank? What is the bigger issue that you are talking about?
Detailed article on ESPN: https://www.espn.com/soccer/chelsea...-pulisics-ability-to-thrive-in-premier-league
American club coaches making assumptions about the treatment of American players and sticking their nose in a player’s situation that he doesn’t actually coach like a know nothing soccer dad? Just hazarding a guess.
I like to pull for the yanks that are abroad. I don’t come here pose as this or that. I come here to talk about the play of yanks who are abroad Lol. Jesse v Frank is the new Arsene v Sir Alex
I am surprised you were there. They both made it sound like a private conversation. But since you were there I guess you would know best whose account is most accurate.
At least Frank's consistent in how he feels about American coaches as well as players. "American soccer players -- football players -- have to learn, to improve, take on information and understand the technical side of the game. So when you have that, which Christian had, and you have incredible talent, it was never in doubt for me. My only thing is I coach in the Premier League and have played here for nearly 20 years so I understand the rigours of it." It really is as if he has no idea how good of a club BVB is, along with no idea how good Pulisic already was. Pulisic was already arguably Chelsea's best technical player the day he arrived.
Seems obvious to me he's referring to an inferiority complex. Which is both accurate (it's there, you can tell from comments from a lot of people), and inaccurate (there's absolutely been a historical bias against American bred players in Europe, so it's OG form isn't actually innaccurate...it wasn't always a complex, rather it was having to do deal with something that puts you at a disadvantage, a form of bigotry - and having said all that, might not exist any longer)
Ziyech's goal is the standout one for me just because it involved Pulisic on the left, combining with Werner in the middle, with Ziyech streaking in from the right all in open space. It was a little textbook example of how dangerous the three can be together. CHO has some chops for sure, I'm just not sure it's easy for any player to develop at a club as big as Chelsea and Chelsea in particular is pretty hard to develop as a young guy in general. However, I've seen him combine with Christian pretty well as an out and out winger. If he can get some time in cup competitions and learn how to be an impact sub, CHO might just be a huge part of the team this year.