68 Days Before the 2022 World Cup: How Will Pulisic Fate in Graham Potter's Hands?
JAKARTA - Christian Pulisic's future at Chelsea was filled with question marks. The United States national team player's opportunity to go to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is almost gone.
So far in the new Premier League season goes, Pulisic has made six appearances. However, five of them came off the bench.
However, a change of coach from Thomas Tuchel to Graham Potter could allow Pulisic to earn a place in The Blues' starting eleven.
Tactically, the two coaches are very similar. Tuchel used a 3-4-3 formation for most of his time at Chelsea. Whereas Graham Potter used 3-5-2 at Brighton. So, on paper not much has changed.
What will change is the roles of the players and the functions they may have in the squad.
One of the things that frustrated Pulisic the most last season was having to play on the left or the right. Meanwhile, he is most comfortable near the opponent's box.
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Given the number of injuries the Blues have had in the past season, players have been forced to play in different roles. Pulisic even played as a false nine when neither Lukaku nor Kai Havertz was in top form.
Under Potter, the former Borussia Dortmund star is now likely to become a major player in the starting line-up.
Working in Potter's preferred 3-4-3 formation, Pulisic could essentially emulate Leandro Trossard who played a key role in Brighton's early season success.