The problem for a player in CP position is not losing the ball too many times...it is consistently realizing that 1-2 moments of quality a game that create actual goals. If anything, he (and a lot of other forward players) are too worried about playing it safe, playing error-free vs. being more unpredictable and create (and lethal)
Watford away is not an easy one for a team like Chelsea. They're ballers, everybody knows that. I don't think Pulisic has been particularly good, but he's done his job keeping that side honest. A very typical game for him, he does just enough to be kept in the rotation. Thing is, the defense knows what he can do, so against teams like this one he's an indirect asset, someone who keeps two of their men pinned down.
Would have been nice to Pulisic get a shot off there. Instead he chipped a cross toward Lukaku but it deflected to the Goalie.
His first touch slowed him up a bit. If he took that touch well and used it to drive toward goal, he would have had a good scoring chance. Instead it got caught in his feet a little and he pushed wide with it.
The weak spot of a team full of expensive players is that none of them wants to risk his ankles broken. Watford and Burnley have always been teams that exploit that weak spot.
Fair enough. At least they won while he was on the field. That is not insignificant. He'll continue to get his chances in rotation, even if he wasn't stellar today.
Problem is, when you're injured half of the time, and of the games you start you're only ok in most, and on top of that you're wearing the #10... well, that's not enough to have the fans rooting for you.
CP will not start at the weekend. Not because he played poorly (he played not great, but not a shocker either), but because I think that was always TT’s plan regarding rotation. I’m sure he will sub on in that match at some point. Pulisic’s first touch and decision making was lacking tonight, I think just needs some confidence and more minutes and he will shine. The best thing he has going for him, which I’ve said many times, is Tuchel trusts him to do a job, whatever role he is assigned. He can play at WB, L/R wing, and false 9. And although he may not always excel in those roles, he will plug the gap and not cost them, and keep the train rolling along. of course, I wish he was the Guy burning ppl and scoring goals for fun, but that is not always a realistic expectation. He’s a hell of a player.
Oh brother... It is not a given he will be injured going forward (next couple months) The '10' on the shirt is irrelevant. Ok, he didn't have a best game. No player does all the time. He'll have better ones. The 'fans rooting for you' thingy.....man, you are dangerous stepping on the troll line with that full post collection of negativity...
Oh, and Saul will Not and should not see the field for sometime. Someone said it earlier - what a strange loan signing for Chelsea. He is without a doubt, surplus to goods. Especially when he plays like that, although to be fair, he was put in a tough position.
So what's the thinking here? Why - out of all the other mid/forwards - is CP tapped for the RWB role? This isn't the first time TT has moved CP there...
He's an average finisher who works hard and operates best when he receives the ball with space to run at a defender. Pretty good crosser, especially with driven cutbacks, but good enough with both feet so a defender can't defend exclusively against that. Also has lots of pace to get up and down the wing. Looking at the rest of the guys who could theoretically go there, Barkley, Saul, and RLC are too slow, Ziyech is too weak, and Musonda's not good.
He isn't even the only manager to have played him there. It's not an insult -- Sterling has played RWB. Di Maria has played WB. Jordan Henderson has played there. And obviously CHO has as well, for this side. Fabinho, one of the best DMs in the world, has played centerback and fullback for both club & country. It's going to remain a possibility when versatility is a part of a player's skillset. Wouldn't expect him to feature there often, barring a Chelsea injury crisis.
His higher level of versatility than most of the players on the team is earning him minutes. I'm not prone to complain. He's also only likely to play that RWB spot in heavy attacking situations, where he spends more time high on the wing, just with the responsibility to track all of the way back. My real versatility question is why, given the midfield injury crisis, Mount or Havertz might not be a better idea in the middle of that 3-4-3 than one of Saul or RLC. The whole "being better at football" thing might kick in at some point, and I think they might be just fine there, leaving room for whichever other healthy attackers can play.
That yellow card exchange between Rice and Jorginho would have been called differently in La Liga or Serie A, from the arm around Jorgi that nudged him down to the faux-accidental knee in the head after. But as the announcers have told us, Rice is a good lad “who was raised right,” so ….