Had he scored in the second leg, I worry that he might have tapped his watch with the frustration he had. Tuchel would have loved that.
But if TT is being cautious with CP, couldn’t he communicate that clearly, both to CP and the media? I could be wrong, but I don’t think that CP would be upset if Tuchel was telling him that he was a very important player, but that he didn’t want to overwork him by starting him multiple times per week. He’s called him a super sub, which is almost a backhanded compliment, but he’s also started him for stretches, then he didn’t start him for two games in a row. I just get the impression from Tuchel, both from Chelsea and Dortmund, that he treats his players like chess pieces and doesn’t consider the human side of things enough.
Sure TT "could" but, as you note, that does not seem to be his schtick. Again, I'm in the nose bleed seats, and who knows - TT could think an "angry" CP is a better CP or he could just be an awkward, self-involved tactical genius... I'm not defending TT - I get the feeling I'd probably want to drown myself if stuck on an island with him for too long, but I do think it were a fuzzier or even just a coach with less history, it might be a bit less controversial. The next group of games will tell a bit - and I think we'll get an entire nother season of this odd-couple paring to parse 8 ways to Sunday.
Yeah, I don’t expect a manager to say they are being careful with an injury-prone player. Pulisic already gets hacked incessantly, that would just invite more abuse.
You think Tuchel is butthurt he didn't get a hug? Tuchel picks the team to give him the best chance to win, not necessarily the best 11 players. Havertz is good. CP is good. Tuchel explained his reasoning, which wasn't totally crazy considering the situation. People need to chill a bit.
A German coach favoring his compatriots a bit is nothing weird. Everybody does it. If we want our players to have first shot at playing week after week in a good league, the best bet is to make the local league a good one. Which may take 100 years, due to the lack of a soccer culture in the country, but, well... Bottom line: so far he's getting the results, TT can play favorites.
Actually, I think he has now become a consistent finisher, and many CFC fans think he is a great finisher, if you follow the message boards and Twitter. No one can prove this, but with the 3 easy chances that Kai, Mount and Kante missed on Wednesday, I guarantee Pulisic puts those away, based on current form. I liked that post earlier where someone said both Tuchel and CP were right about whether he should start or sub. Subbing him in worked great, but I also get the frustration by CP, because I do think he finishes chances and could have put the game away in the first 30 minutes had he started.
Thing is, in the world of soccer, when you're the #10 you're still expected to be a regular starter, unless you're injured. Being a #10 who only has spotty starts and is often played as a super-sub is taken as chastisement, as a bit of saying you're not up to par for the job. It's just not the number you give to a rotation guy, and the only reason a rotation guy has it is because he used to be a regular starter but lost that privilege.
He's still a 22 year old getting a chance at a Champions League trophy. And he's certainly played his part getting them there. They win a final and he gets something on the board and he's attained something very few get the chance to do. He may want to move on and it's not like lots of teams repeat anyway although they aren't aging out anytime soon. For a young ambitious player looking to make his mark, winning things is the way to do it. People remember the winners and his year will look a success. So yeah, a lot depends what happens down the stretch, but he's in position to accomplish big things. Seems odd to think this is a disaster even if he wants to try something else next.
If I were Pulisic I would quit Chelsea right now. Right before the UEFA final and the FA Cup final. Boy would that make a statement and boy would Tuchel learn his lesson for sure!
He should wait till he gets called to sub in, tap his watch, have a helicopter land at center, get in it and fly to Philly to join the Union.
Your last paragraph is a particularly nuanced and hard learned lesson. It also happens to be very true.
It's pretty clear Pulisic has better ball handling/dribbling skills than Werner. Is Werner really faster enough than Pulisic to make him the more dangerous option in transition ? Or maybe Tuchel is perhaps overconcerned about Pulisic's hamstrings when trying to play the Werner role ?
I agree with all this. I get the impression that TT sees Pulisic as the delicate 17 yo, rather than the player who's succeeded in the PL for 2 years. (He's never acknowledged any improvement in his game, so far as I know.) But it doesn't matter the reason, because if Pulisic thinks that his performance doesn't matter to the results, well that's a bad way to go through life.
The UCL final between Manchester City and Chelsea in Istanbul is likely to be moved, sources have told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/qzynaKTL8b— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 7, 2021 Play it at Wembley in front of 80K plus fans.
Ok so I think it's time for Pulisic to start playing his own 4d chess. If he starts tomorrow he should try to have a terrible game. Totally channel his inner Werner. Then it will be a brilliant tactical move for Tuchel start him in the Champions League Final and not just the boring obvious decision. It will totally catch Pep off guard.
Well, you know that we all appreciate you. Never doubt that. Dozens of us here must, at least. A solid handful, for sure. I should probably just speak for myself. You can always count on me. Oddly enough, I mean that seriously (if admittedly conditionally).
It occurred to me this afternoon that with all the handwringing about Tuchel’s handling of CP one thing that has been overlooked is that his play has improved during the time that TT has been in charge. I have no doubt that if I click back far enough in this thread I’ll find a bunch of complaints about CP not being aggressive enough and not making the most of his time on the field. Now, I for one was willing to be patient because of the brutal injury he suffered at the end of last season. Either way, he’s a pro and it’s a reasonable expectation that he is productive when on the field. Fast forward to TT starting as manager and all of sudden his playing time is cut dramatically and he has to fight his way back into the team. In my opinion, his recent form is die at least in part to Tuchel’s management of his playing time. And for what it’s worth, I’d be more worried if CP wasn’t upset about not starting more but big picture, he’s playing well and they’re winning. TT deserves some credit.
The way Real Madrid fowl him and then back off him in the 18 allowing for that precise pass to Mount for the final goal shows that the Madrid players have a lot of respect for his abilities. If Zidane sticks around, I Wouldn’t be surprised if there are inquiries about his availability in a trade this summer. You heard it here first. Hazard goes back to Chelsea in exchange for Pulisic!