Zeta 12,511 Posted November 9 Good close control and dribbling, needs to work on his strength though, he gets bullied off the ball a lot. 1 EdinburghBlue reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EdinburghBlue 6,108 Posted November 9 4 minutes ago, Zeta said: Good close control and dribbling, needs to work on his strength though, he gets bullied off the ball a lot. This is the one thing I think he needs to work on, he’s young so plenty of time but if he can get the strength Hazard had in his later years with us then Christian can easily become one of the best in the world. His close control and dribbling is exceptional and not miles away from Hazard even at this early stage and he scores more regularly so far and has a lot more energy. It’s early days so I don’t want to put too much pressure on this and he will have downturns in form but he could match Hazards output for us. 1 haviet1 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GhostOfDembaBa 127 Posted November 9 11 minutes ago, EdinburghBlue said: This is the one thing I think he needs to work on, he’s young so plenty of time but if he can get the strength Hazard had in his later years with us then Christian can easily become one of the best in the world. His close control and dribbling is exceptional and not miles away from Hazard even at this early stage and he scores more regularly so far and has a lot more energy. It’s early days so I don’t want to put too much pressure on this and he will have downturns in form but he could match Hazards output for us. Was about to say he probably won't get too much stronger because he seems to have a naturally small frame (unless he bulks up and loses what makes him so sharp). Was trying to think of players who really improved their strength on the ball whilst maintaining their speed and the player that came to mind was Mohamed Salah. He was very lightweight to begin with but managed to develop some good sturdiness on the ball without compromising on his speed band mobility. 1 Scott Harris reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
2211 342 Posted November 9 Looked lively today, his choices and finishing will get even better as time goes on. A good start to his Chelsea career. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dixons 216 Posted November 9 Loved that bit of skill in the pen box round the 20 min mark when he was surrounded with three players right on top of him, but stlll wriggled his way thru them to turn and play a pass back. Didn't find s Chelsea player, but still a joy to see. I don't want hype him too much, but if he keeps his head down and continues to work hard, he could go on to be as good or even better than the mighty Hazard. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haviet1 38 Posted November 9 1 hour ago, EdinburghBlue said: This is the one thing I think he needs to work on, he’s young so plenty of time but if he can get the strength Hazard had in his later years with us then Christian can easily become one of the best in the world. His close control and dribbling is exceptional and not miles away from Hazard even at this early stage and he scores more regularly so far and has a lot more energy. It’s early days so I don’t want to put too much pressure on this and he will have downturns in form but he could match Hazards output for us. This has always been his weakness, even at Dortmund. Frankly, I don't think he's going to get any bigger or stronger. He's just a small guy. What he needs to do is learn how to 'ride tackles' better, and play smarter with better positioning between the ball and defender so he won't be easily pushed off the ball. I am pretty confident he will get better at this after 1 full season or 2 in the EPL. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
EdinburghBlue 6,108 Posted November 9 1 hour ago, GhostOfDembaBa said: Was about to say he probably won't get too much stronger because he seems to have a naturally small frame (unless he bulks up and loses what makes him so sharp). Was trying to think of players who really improved their strength on the ball whilst maintaining their speed and the player that came to mind was Mohamed Salah. He was very lightweight to begin with but managed to develop some good sturdiness on the ball without compromising on his speed band mobility. 19 minutes ago, haviet1 said: This has always been his weakness, even at Dortmund. Frankly, I don't think he's going to get any bigger or stronger. He's just a small guy. What he needs to do is learn how to 'ride tackles' better, and play smarter with better positioning between the ball and defender so he won't be easily pushed off the ball. I am pretty confident he will get better at this after 1 full season or 2 in the EPL. True but Hazard wasn’t the greatest at staying on his feet and being bullied sometimes in his early days. Even Drogba took a while to get used to the physical side of the game in PL although admittedly a decent amount of that was down to diving as well, but I think it is something he can improve without bulking up significantly. As I say, Hazard was much stronger in his later years with us than he was in the first couple and hopefully Pulisic can follow in that style as well! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robdog 6,924 Posted November 9 if Puli scored that goal, it would have broke the internet - ok maybe for US footie fans 1 haviet1 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Strider6003 2,387 Posted November 9 I would say Pulisic has started better than Hazard did, of course that does not mean he will be a better player yet he is showing a lot of potential. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GhostOfDembaBa 127 Posted November 9 8 minutes ago, Strider6003 said: I would say Pulisic has started better than Hazard did, of course that does not mean he will be a better player yet he is showing a lot of potential. Hazard started great if I recall... Or is that something I'm just remembering fancifully. That trio of Hazard, Mata and Oscar? Was very good attacking-wise and Hazard was only behind a prime Mata (POTS) in form. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haviet1 38 Posted November 9 21 minutes ago, robdog said: if Puli scored that goal, it would have broke the internet - ok maybe for US footie fans If only it was a foot more to the left, then the goalie have no chance. He will get there eventually. This is why Messi/Ronaldo are legends, those dudes always know how to pick a good corner. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Strider6003 2,387 Posted November 9 I don't think he did, scored just 9 that first season and almost strangled an annoying ball boy for which he later apologised. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brutos 2,119 Posted November 9 I don't see his strength as a problem look at Sterling probably the same or shorter than Pulisic...and he is hard to get off the ball and he developed that over year’s of playing give the guy time jeez 1 Scott Harris reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scott 4,944 Posted November 10 5 haviet1, Amputechture, Valerie and 2 others reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amputechture 2,503 Posted November 10 13 hours ago, Scott said: The boy can jump. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haviet1 38 Posted November 10 I really can't wait for the Man City game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Backbiter 4,089 Posted November 10 I watched the highlights of yesterday's win at the gym, on YouTube, with the captions on. It seems our second goal was scored by full of sick. 1 Valerie reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
icecoolguy22 1,625 Posted November 11 Hazard is having a surprise struggle to settle in at Real, yet Pulisic settled in nicely after 11 games, nobody expected that in July. 1 Sexyfootball reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scott Harris 22,758 Posted November 11 5 hours ago, icecoolguy22 said: Hazard is having a surprise struggle to settle in at Real, yet Pulisic settled in nicely after 11 games, nobody expected that in July. It's never easy to go into a new season recovering from an injury at a new club, it's hard enough adjusting to a new league without one. The problem is that Real Madrid have no patience, so instead of letting Hazard adapt, they will just write him off, like they have done with so many players before him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haviet1 38 Posted November 11 Any words if Pulisic is on his way to the US or staying put in London? I wish he stayed and rest and recover from that hip bump. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haviet1 38 Posted November 11 (edited) Looks like Pulisic is staying in London. Great for him. Want to see a fully rested Pulisic against Man City. https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2019/11/gregg-berhalter-names-23-players-to-final-usmnt-roster-for-nations-league-matches <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">🗞 | The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USMNT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USMNT</a>’s 23 player roster for our decisive <a href="https://twitter.com/CNationsLeague?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNationsLeague</a> matches vs. 🇨🇦 on Nov. 15 in Orlando and 🇨🇺 on Nov. 19 in the Cayman Islands. <br><br>INFO: <a href="https://t.co/wABwbrzWvQ">https://t.co/wABwbrzWvQ</a><br><br>(1/3) <a href="https://t.co/1lKOOLKci2">pic.twitter.com/1lKOOLKci2</a></p>— U.S. Soccer MNT (@USMNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/USMNT/status/1193989394958573570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Edited November 11 by haviet1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
robdog 6,924 Posted November 11 4 hours ago, haviet1 said: Any words if Pulisic is on his way to the US or staying put in London? I wish he stayed and rest and recover from that hip bump. 1 Amputechture reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Skinnedy 742 Posted November 11 Read through this thread , and we might see Pulisic pick up a few more knocks for midseason breaks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haviet1 38 Posted November 12 Yes, the US Nat team is a sh*t show right now. Best for Pulisic to stay far away and focus on his Chelsea career. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites