Christian Pulisic at AC Milan

which is why I said HOW we talk about it - not banning it.

A lot of world class attackers famously hated penalties for mental health reasons - anxiety. Biut phrases “submissive” & weak? That does indeed trigger me, but I’m ok with that because we need to stop talking like that

 

Sadly, that hostile environment was in the US.

 

The players are starting to talk to the media, even though anonymously.

I just can't see TT lasting beyond this season.

 

It's very highly likely that TT goes if the attack continues to struggle.

I just can't see Chelsea trying to move guys like Lukaku, Werner, Kai, Pulisic, etc. in order to keep TT. Nor do I see them wanting to deal with the fact that these guys might push for moves away if TT remains.

 

CP is no different than any other pro athlete - he is human.

Btw -

https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2022/01/26/christian-pulisic-usmnt-chelsea-future/amp/

just sayin ...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Tuchel (It always ends in controversy)

 

TT is known as a bit of a basket case, so whatever happens, he's going to get himself booted sooner rather than later.

Saying "he's likely out in the summer" is like saying "Bayern is going to win the 22/23 Bundesliga."

 

Yes, but one definition of submissive is: 'ready to conform to the authority or will of others'

IMO, that is a fair conversation to have with professional athletes/professional sports and does not have to include a conversation on mental health.

You've been watching soccer a long time. Surely you remember what happened to Dempsey when he joined Tottenham. He went from basically being 'the man' at Fulham and having offense designed towards his strengths and receiving the ball where he liked it.....to landing at Tottenham where he was low-man on the totem pole in a lot of cases....and he had to fight his way out of it. He had to prove himself all over again. He looked like a fish out of water much of his early weeks at Tottenham, totally out of comfort zone, lost. Bale wouldn't pass him the ball, or very late in moves where Clint's options were very limited. etc.

In doing so, one can either accept what others (including the coach) are telling you, and you can carve your own niche at a club and with your teammates based on your strength of your personality, your own selfish behavior at times, your gile, your performances, etc etc. This is how you change the dynamic with both your teammates and coach.

This thread is made up mostly of Pulisic fans like myself. We want the kid to succeed. But many, many posters (not just me) have commented on how he does not look like himself. He is missing the 'mojo' that we have previously seen during Oct-Nov 2019 and June-July 2020.

Tuchel (mostly) is not going to change. Pusilic's teammates are not going to change. Are you claiming he is not healthy? If you believe he is healthy.....how does this current 'mojo-less' dilemma get solved? Waiting to get transfered?

Dempsey did get transfered after 1 year, because he got the huge payday and security of Seattle's 5 year deal + Ponchetino wanted 'his' guys. But during his year at Tottenham Clint did an amazing job of being thrown totally out of his comfort zone in the first weeks and months at Tottenham (playing a very, very different role than Fulham) but then (pretty quickly) figuring out new ways to contribute and utilize his skill set for the benefit of a team that was totally structured different from Fulham. He learned how to get goals and assists in unique, new ways. His teammates started adapting to him and even Bale changed a little/some to accommodate Clint's game (after Clint had made adjustments for his new teammates)

He was very productive at season for Tottenham given how he was a 3rd and 4th option at times and not a sure starter many games.

Pulisic has a similar challenge at Chelsea and it is taking him a while to adapt. He can learn from Dempsey's experience. Lampard is gone and that role that he carved out for Pulisic is (in all likelihood) gone as well, so no sense dwelling on it (fans or CP)

Given this is professional athletics, I do not know how we get around the issue of 'mindset' or whatever word is the comfortable word to use. Isn't the difference between good and great athletes their mentality? Haven't we all had that feeling in our own sporting lives when we are comfortable and everything is flowing and our performances are great.....and on the opposite side, times where we lack confidence and we could not perform to our capabilities, etc.

When I was 'in the zone' (peak performance) in college, I literally had visions of a ball going in the net before it did. I was supremely confident in those moments of my ability to execute. And always I constantly was battling myself to unlock that (whatever it was) connection in my mind/body. We've all seen players when they are in the zone, 'can't miss'....and other times where their body language tells us they are far from 'the zone'

To me, all this seems like a basic tenet of any professional sports conversation, especially for players who appear healthy but not performance at their best.

 

I wonder if Tuchel is the type whose criticism and ways of getting the best out of players works well in the first year or so after he arrives, and then after becomes too much.

I had a boss in a previous job that was great in my first year and then overtime became a nightmare as he wanted to increasingly squeeze out every bit of quality and effort from me and his other subordinates.

Or Tuchel’s methods have simply gotten worse as the team does worse. I always thought Tuchel was liked by his players but not by those above him.

 

I would go further and say that the reluctance to talk about, and to acknowledge to oneself, the emotional and psychological aspects of performance is a flaw. We can see that every situation in which the stakes are high, people seek help on these issues—from sports psychologists to executive coaches, etc. They realize it is important. Whatever norms discourage it are bad norms.

 

This breakdown of mins if correct is a strong argument for moving elsewhere if Tuchel and the system remain.

He has to do better on an individual level however, no mins at his preferred position is a waste.

 

It looks like they are calling the 2 attackers behind the strikers CAMs even though one is typically on the left and one right.

 

Also interesting for those who say he's lost a step, the article says the Athletic was told that "this season’s physical metrics indicate his body has regained its explosive acceleration."

 

the problem is clear

he skunked his mojo by wearing a Yankees jersey.

cmon Christian - at least put on a Pirates jersey (no not Phillies)

a central Pa guy wearing Yankees.

barf.

 

Great article from the athletic. Love the graph of where he's played his minutes with lampard vs tuchel. Anyone thinking he's being put in places to succeed at Chelsea in this thread is completely tripping

 

In most instances the truth is somewhere in between. IMO, CP does not look as dynamic w/ the ball as he has in the past.... I think a large part of it has to do with the injuries he picked up in the Cup Final w/ Arsenal and the subsequent one with the USMNT in WCQ. Getting healthy enough to play doesn't mean you are back to 100%... often times it takes a player a long time to get back to their peak form. Also... I am positive that his lack of consistent starts at his true/best position has something to do with it. At any rate... I think the doom and gloom opinions on this thread are too harsh but I also think he isn't performing up to his maximum.

 

Yeah, Journos are doing him no favors with the supporters, but I have no problem with his recent quotes and the facts surrounding his situation.

What does bother me is that certain journalist and rags in the UK are paraphrasing his quotes in his recent press conference and using it for click bait. and then some dumb fans complain that he is being like Lukaku and that Sky Italia interview.

Pulisic basically said (I obviously paraphrase here): "I am struggling sometimes and it has been up and down. I don't always play in my preferred position,but I try to be versatile and am learning new things in those positions, and I will work hard and hopefully get to play in my favorite spots soon."

but for people like Simon Phillips and for rags like Daily Mail, that is being turned into the headline: "Pulisic questions Tuchel's tactics, Blames manager for his struggles!"
To which many CFC fans are saying, Get rid of him, he is weak, and so on.

As each day passes, I am more and more on board with him leaving. I think heading to Italy/Germany/Spain would do wonders for him again. In a dream world, he would take the Salah route and become that level of player, come back to the Prem and make Chelsea regret, but I know how unlikely that is.
I could also see him taking a mega-deal to come back to MLS at age 25-26, but I hope not. I think he wants to be in Europe, but it would be hard to turn down a boat load of cash from Garber and co. to come back to his home country.

 

Well the stats tell the story. He hasn't played in his preferred position, period. Not fair to cp at all to say he hasn't performed when he's been played there. Hope he gets 3 games with usmnt to prove himself and shows out.

 

Me too. Any of the other top 5 leagues is a better experience for young American players. EPL culture gets in the way.

 

Well if nothing else if things end up not working out at Chelsea, there's a number of very good players who that was the case for and who have done very well since they left. Kevin De Bruyne, Mo Saleh, Filipe Luis, and even Lukaku and Matić the first time around to name a few.

 

Actually, they've been saying that for months already.

 

It's borderline dishonest.

He's played LAM, which is Tuchel's version of the left winger.

 

Yep, goes to something I posted on this forum: people who criticize CP not playing up to his two phenomenal EPL stints, don’t factor in the position CP has played for Chelsea this year, so they state Ziyech/CHO/Havertz/whoever has outperformed CP this season. If that’s so, let’s see the position those others played, similar to the graphic The Athletic showed for CP.

 

I just looked at Transfer market, and Chelsea's attacking pool is worth nearly $450M. That's a shitload of money and talent.

Yet, none of them are able to score goals on a regular basis. All 7 attackers combined for a total of 22 EPL goals this season, that's an average of a little over 3 goals per player. That's just TERRIBLE.

Salah alone score 16 goals, Jota has 10, and Vardy has 9.

At the end of the day, the board will have to look at their $450M attacking corp and there's absolutely no way they are satisfy with the return.