UK: 18+ USA: 21+ | Begambleaware.org | T&Cs apply | Play Responsibly
Christian Pulisic finds himself glued to the bench at Stamford Bridge. USMNT coach, Gregg Berhalter has opened up about the attacker’s frustration with limited game time and recent positional change.
Injuries and loss of form have seen Pulisic drop down the pecking order at Chelsea. This has seen minutes on the pitch difficult to come by for the 24-year-old.
Tough times make tough men and this is the stance taken by the US national team coach. Berhalter understands that Pulisic is a special player and his development given the circumstances needs to be lauded.
Pulisic in the right place
The New Jersey native pointed out the competition his star pupil is facing day in and day out and believes that the Texan has done a ‘fantastic job’ to find his place.
Berhalter was pointing towards the multi-million arrival of Raheem Sterling and injuries at Stamford Bridge that have seen Pulisic deployed as a wingback.
“I’ve seen his transformation as a person and as a player and it’s been really fun to watch.
“It’s difficult when you’re at a club like Chelsea and in any given summer they can bring in hundreds of millions of dollars worth of players and he keeps fighting to get his place.” He added. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Christian and I think he’s done a fantastic job.”
While not conceding that Pulisic is a wingback, Berhalter shared that he cannot fault Graham Potter for playing him there. He believes the former Brighton manager has given him these roles to work on his game, which will only benefit his evolution as a player.
“He’s not a wingback but, listen, every manager likes to try things and sometimes go, “OK this is how it can bring out the best in the player” and sometimes they’re absolutely right — you take a player like that and he’s a transformation at that position.
“Graham Potter is well within his rights to be doing stuff like this now, why not? Give it a try. Since he [Potter] has been there, they’ve been doing a good job. What I see is every manager eventually trusts that he’s going to give 100 per cent effort in training and he’s going to be there for the team when they need him.”
Uncertain future in London
Pulisic was starved of action under Thomas Tuchel and will be pleased with the numbers he has received under the new man in charge.
However, as it stands, he is rarely starting for the English giants and an overwhelming majority of his appearances have come from the bench. With just 454 minutes accrued from 14 appearances, disgruntlement in the 24-year-old’s camp is justified.
Despite this, rumours about a potential move away from West London remain high.
In the summer, Manchester United enquired about a potential swap to Old Trafford. Todd Boehly resisted the urge to star on the Stamford Bridge outcast but the attacker might be forcing his way out in the future.
Captain America has been linked with a move to mega-rich Newcastle where he is held in high regard by Eddie Howe. With the Toons boasting a top-four place at the moment, a future move will be enticing.
Subscribe to Punditfeed on Google News for all the latest updates from the world of sports!
