Chelsea and United States Men’s National Team star Christian Pulisic is an attacking midfielder by definition. His best and most natural position is on the left wing, but football/soccer is a team sport, so the 22-year-old must do what is necessary to help out the side.
Blues boss Thomas Tuchel is a defense-first kind of manager, and that’s reflected in just how stellar Chelsea were last season in that department. The German took a side that was middling in mid-table last year, and guided them to a Champions League title and a top four finish via their ability to hardly ever concede goals.
Expect that approach to return in ’21-’22 and with that in mind, Tuchel will be utilizing his wing backs again, with certain midfielders playing a deeper role. Pulisic is one such example, as he lined up in the middle of the park, not forward, and on the right side in Chelsea’s preseason friendly win over Arsenal yesterday.
Tuchel was asked whether Pulisic making a position change was a one time deal, or something that could become more permanent.
The gaffer responded:
“Maybe, maybe. He played with me in Dortmund and he played it many times. With Callum [Hudson-Odoi], Marcos [Alonso] was not able to play so we put Cally on the left side. It was something I wanted to see for a long time, if Callum can maybe be more dangerous from this position with some attributes inside, which he loves and did today.”
Obviously, Tuchel is not going to give away the store, especially in preseason, about his formations and tactics, but he did provide the following insights:
“In a normal situation we have Azpi [Cesar Azpilicueta] and Reece [James] for this position [right wing-back]. They are not here.
“Azpi started two days ago. Reece has not even started yet. We need to have solutions because we start on the 11th in the game against Villarreal and 14th is the season. We cannot not try things. Now is the time to see. It was the possibility to give him some minutes.”
Tuchel and Pulisic, who have familiarity and chemistry from their time together at Borussia Dortmund, will play for a trophy in nine days time when they take on Villareal in the UEFA Super Cup.
That curtain raiser should provide a great opportunity for Tuchel to better sort out his side and the approach he wants to take with it. Then the season opener comes three days later when the Blues will take on fellow London club Crystal Palace.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.
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