soccer soccer soccer

[stitchface]

That’s good to see that he’s producing, even if it’s in limited time. I mainly want to see him play more. Last six matches in the EPL and UCL he’s played a total of 36 minutes.

 

As for Spurs, they’ve been garbage in the league since mid-Feb last year. I don’t know exactly why and I’m not sure a turnaround is coming. So many issues with the team right now.

 

 

Was Son hurt? It's crazy how much more dangerous he is than Kane (at least to the eye).

[stitchface]

I know it’s only been a few games but boy am I sure glad that Pulisic went to Chelsea.

Uh huh.

 

Saw this over the weekend. Don't see anyone from Spurs on there. Shrug emoji.

 

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Second on Chelsea to Tammy Abraham, but sure, Mount has been perceieved to be a revelation and Pulisic a bust. Sure would hate to have a 21 year old producing at that level, under outrageous pressure, on my team. Not to mention that Pulisic is a really good finisher and he hasn't been finishing. We have enough of a sample size to know it's a fluke. Physicality & pressure are the learning curves. If wasted chances aren't a fluke, they're probably just a factor of those things, not an actual learning curve he needs to overcome. If he adjusts to the spotlight pressure and gets stronger, which every athlete who's only 21 inevitably does, he'll be good money.

 

This, from Ryan O'Hanlon, is very good on the subject:

https://nograssintheclouds.substack.com/p/psst-christian-pulisic-has-been-kinda

 

Excerpt:

[spoil]

Among Chelsea players with at least 200 minutes of game time, Pulisic is receiving the most passes in the attacking third and the most passes in the box. In fact, Pulisic’s playing profile so far spits out some pretty promising comps. Here’s the list of guys -- per 90 minutes, min. 200 minutes played -- with at least three balls received in the box, 15 received in the final third, one pass into the box, and one pass into the final third. That’s a mouthful, but it signifies players who help out in buildup play but also manage to consistently get on the ball in the most dangerous area of the field. OK, the list:

 

-David Silva

-Mohamed Salah

-Lucas Moura

-Heung-min Son

-Sergio Aguero

-Bernardo Silva

-Harvey Barnes

 

That’s one player in Barnes who I personally think has a ton of potential. Then it’s six of the best attackers in the league, and six players who Chelsea (and USMNT) fans would be happy to see Pulisic develop into.

[/spoil]

 

I really think the physicality is relatively minor for him to address. The pressure, well, that's a bitch for sure. The other factors to overcome are the old but proven wingers (Pedro + Willian) who he's actually out-produced offensively, his finishing slump, and whatever tactical deficiencies Lampard may have as a teacher/manager (if that's actually a problem; might not be). He's going to be good for them for a long time if they handle this right. It's Chelsea, so that's definitely not something we can take for granted. The US is another issue entirely and pretty much not worth thinking or caring about, if you can pull that off.

 

 

No Reds on there either . . .

[soccer10k]

That’s good to see that he’s producing, even if it’s in limited time. I mainly want to see him play more. Last six matches in the EPL and UCL he’s played a total of 36 minutes.

 

As for Spurs, they’ve been garbage in the league since mid-Feb last year. I don’t know exactly why and I’m not sure a turnaround is coming. So many issues with the team right now.

 

 

Was Son hurt? It's crazy how much more dangerous he is than Kane (at least to the eye).

 

I’m guessing he didn’t play because of travel for the international break. I agree with you though. They were much better immediately after he came on.

[wolf stansson]

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God I miss Clint Dempsey. Really hope Ulysses Llanez can be the heir to the sauce like everyone thinks he is, but nobody combined that skill, that chip on the shoulder, and that physicality like Deuce when he really turned it on. The greatest.

[soccer10k]

Pulisic comes on as a sub and gets the assist on the winning goal today. Good to see, even if I wanted Chelsea to lose.

[wolf stansson]

Now leading the team in assists, despite playing less than a third of the minutes. Lampard has his reasons for what he's doing, and it's working, but Pulisic is still the best playmaker on his team and has been the entire time.

 

If anyone is curious, yes, that is Sergino Dest's scalp hanging from CP's belt after that 1v1 to end line assist. Just cooked him over about 10 yards.

[wolf stansson]

Jesse Marsch loves the Red Bull organization, so he probably won't jump at just any offer, but he's going to have tough decision to make someday, because that guy is going places.

[stitchface]

Now leading the team in assists, despite playing less than a third of the minutes. Lampard has his reasons for what he's doing, and it's working, but Pulisic is still the best playmaker on his team and has been the entire time.

 

If anyone is curious, yes, that is Sergino Dest's scalp hanging from CP's belt after that 1v1 to end line assist. Just cooked him over about 10 yards.

 

maybe we should just trust Lampard? I hope Chelsea gives him a chance.

[wolf stansson]

I don't have a ton of opinions on Lampard as a manager yet, but I trust the player. He's proven willing and able to make an impact regardless of minutes, so as long as he continues, minutes will come. It's not like Lampard doesn't want to manage multiple 21 year old super stars as they develop into great players at the highest level. That's pretty much what every manager wants, so as long as the attitude and production are right, he'll get his chances.

[stitchface]

I don't have a ton of opinions on Lampard as a manager yet, but I trust the player. He's proven willing and able to make an impact regardless of minutes, so as long as he continues, minutes will come. It's not like Lampard doesn't want to manage multiple 21 year old super stars as they develop into great players at the highest level. That's pretty much what every manager wants, so as long as the attitude and production are right, he'll get his chances.

 

yea, I meant Lampard. Chelsea will play a lot of games this year so Pulisic should get his chances. Hopefully Chelsea does well enough for Lampard not to get fired and allow him to execute his plan (assuming he has one).

[wolf stansson]

Not a super ideal time for USS to lose Tab Ramos to the dynamo head job.

[wolf stansson]

Boss horsefeathers from Christian. God damn.

 

Christian Pulisic isn’t strong enough. Christian Pulisic can’t finish.

 

Sheds a tackle, burns a defender with a running step over, nutmegs another defender for the goal.

 

Lmao

[Transmogrified Tiger]

he is everywhere right now, they're getting a chance basically every minute that he's heavily involved in

[wolf stansson]

One man wrecking crew

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I've never seen him do *that* before, my goodness

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Pulisic now in the EPL's Top 5 of non-penalty G+A/90, even if you give him no production in the few minutes he's short of the qualifying bar.

[wolf stansson]

Lamps with a well earned “I know what I’m doing, guys.”

 

https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2019/10/26/praise-for-pulisic-lampard-it-was-a-fantastic-match-winning-performance/

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I’m not willing to give Lampard credit for playing his best winger(especially when his coaching chops are finishing 6th in the championship and being willing to manage transfer banned Chelsea), but he clearly is in Pulisic’s corner now which is what matters.

[wolf stansson]

It’s easy to assign some benevolent strategy behind the reasoning Lampard provided: CP’s summer work load, gradual adjustment, managing expectations, but you’re right that CP is their best winger and potentially best attacker, so he probably mostly just mishandled it.

 

I’m just glad that I timed my public reaction against the Pulisic hysteria so well. A hat trick immediately after? I’ve never felt more vindicated about a sports opinion lol. Not that I was alone, but most of the rhetoric was just recycled EPL cliche criticism of foreign players with big transfer tags that gets trotted out every single time a foreign player doesn’t immediately produce. The latent American resentment factor made it a little different/worse. Ironically, they did the same to 22 year old Hazard his first season, and then immediately tagged Christian as a failure because he didn’t come off the plane producing like 27 year old Hazard. It rarely happens to English players with huge price tags (unless they’re black) so it was just incredible to see so many Americans get caught up in that English media garbage.

[UMFan83]

 

Wow I definitely didn't think he would choose the US. There were literally reports an hour ago saying he was leaning towards the Netherlands.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

It is probably revealing about me that I'm just as excited that I get to see Dest play for the US as I am that it's one less position for there to be endless shrieking about player selection. We'd hit the point where folks were getting angry that Fabian Johnson wasn't getting called in for LB, the same Fabian Johnson who is constantly(and recently) injured, openly hated playing LB, and will be almost 35 when the World Cup starts.

[stitchface]

It is probably revealing about me that I'm just as excited that I get to see Dest play for the US as I am that it's one less position for there to be endless shrieking about player selection. We'd hit the point where folks were getting angry that Fabian Johnson wasn't getting called in for LB, the same Fabian Johnson who is constantly(and recently) injured, openly hated playing LB, and will be almost 35 when the World Cup starts.

 

 

A needed good weekend for USMNT

[wolf stansson]

Holy mother horsefeathering horsefeathers that is some incredibly unexpected news. WOW. Hell yeah, Serge.

 

The tabloids need to re-publish all the suspect Barcelona rumors that came out a few weeks ago now that they can get all the american clicks.

[stitchface]

Holy mother horsefeathering horsefeathers that is some incredibly unexpected news. WOW. Hell yeah, Serge.

 

The tabloids need to re-publish all the suspect Barcelona rumors that came out a few weeks ago now that they can get all the american clicks.

 

 

Barca desperately needs outside backs. Is he that good?

[wolf stansson]

Barca desperately needs outside backs. Is he that good?

I don't know. He's looked young & discombobulated with the US, but we all know that everyone except Jordan Morris has looked like that under Berhalter. Pulisic got benched and then came out and did what he did for Chelsea, so that's a tough way to evaluate Dest.

 

I do know that he's a regular at age 18 on a team that was a Champions League semifinalist and domestic champion last season, so it would stand to reason that his expected level is as a Champions League knock out-level starter.