Chelsea manager Tuchel risks alienating Pulisic by not starting him

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel risks alienating Christian Pulisic by keeping the American star out of the first team. It’s time to let him break out. Pulisic could easily have started against Real Madrid in the winning second leg of the Blues’ semifinal in the Champions League. Conversely, it’s difficult to complain about using Timo Werner and Kai Havertz. Both were brilliant and integral components of the big Chelsea win against Los Blancos. Yet, not starting a rested and fit Pulisic is a problem waiting to happen for the brilliant German manager if not handled correctly.

The problem is not an easy one for any manager with the truly amazing assets available to him in an attack like Chelsea’s. As has been written before in this space, these are complex and at times, virtually unsolvable issues, when all of the terrific players are both fit and match ready. It’s a conundrum that afflicts top managers of big teams at times. It’s part of the great team managerial dilemma. The outcome of the skills in his management of these issues can and will have major and sometimes drastic impacts on players, the clubs and the manager himself.

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Pulisic quite simply has to be in the first team more often than he is now.

Arguing the relative merits of two or more terrific talents in the attack—or at any position for that matter—and trying to create not only a winning side, but also balance among these world class talents, is a fool’s errand. You can be right and wrong simultaneously in your team selections. You win on the one hand and lose on the other. Yet, those decisions as in the case of Pulisic could see the young American look to leave the club if not managed with great sensitivity. Sensitivity in this case means playing him in the first team often when he is fit. He has certainly not been fit for plenty of games this season. Yet, when he is, he is a handful for any midfield or defense to compete against.

The American has been so good, in fact, that he is now being compared with Chelsea legend Eden Hazard. Indeed, he has begun to be treated quite similarly in that seemingly the only way to contain this dynamo as they did with Hazard—foul, and foul and then foul some more. Both could have used greaves, like those worn by Roman legionaries, and metal shin guards from ankle to knee as they are hacked so often by players who simply can’t contend with the dribbling, pace and wizardry. When you reach that level, you need to play when fit unless rest is required to maintain that fitness. It’s as simple as that.

The loss of Pulisic to any other club would be a massive gaffe by whoever allows it to happen. It would be a mistake of the same magnitude as Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah and Romelu Lukaku. It would be of similar monstrous significance and potentially devastating consequence to the Blues. Legitimate questions can and should be asked about why the club allowed their dismissal in the transfer market without any of the three having been afforded any opportunity whatsoever to show their ability. The entire scouting process that brought them to the club in the first place was dismissed maybe by jumpy managers, perhaps presumably because they couldn’t appreciate the talent of those world class players who then got away.

Now Pulisic’s case is not really the same as the three previously mentioned stars who never were afforded an opportunity in the Blue shirts. Yet, he is still relegated to the bench too often and not given enough time in the first team. Any doubts whatsoever should have been dispelled last season when after the resumption of play, a finally fit Pulisic ripped apart the Premier League. His performance was a major factor in earning Chelsea Champions League qualification, a qualification that now has the club in the final of that massive European competition. In addition, now fit this season after several injury setbacks, he is scoring, assisting and generally wreaking havoc on opposing defenses. Yet, he still has to enter a vital game against Madrid in the 67′.

Again, this commentary is in no way saying that Tuchel has done anything that hasn’t worked well. It is merely pointing out the fact that it would be imprudent to keep this young, amazingly talented and emerging world class football star on the pine too often.