Pundit claims £150k-a-week Chelsea player was one of the fastest players in the world... but he's got slower
Chelsea attacker Christian Pulisic has got slower since a series of hamstring problems, says pundit Taylor Twellman.
Pulisic, 23, has had his fair share of bad luck with injuries since moving to Stamford Bridge in 2019, especially in the hamstring area.
The £150,000-a-week America winger joined from Borussia Dortmund as an exciting wide man with skill and explosive pace.
Twellman, who’s a former United states international and now a co-commentator for ESPN, has noticed a drop off in Pulisic’s ability to sprint over longer distances. He once ranked him as one of the world’s quickest football players, too.
“I think it’s very fair to wonder what those hamstring injuries did to Christian’s psyche and confidence,” Twellman said.
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“Knowing whether he can hit that top speed. It’s key for any player, but for someone like him? His top speed was in the upper echelons of players in the world. He was real quick off the mark. I still see glimpses of that but it tends to be over five to seven yards rather than 40 yards.”
Pulisic missing Chelsea spark
In fairness, it does look like Pulisic is missing that extra edge to his game so there may be something in him subconsciously being afraid of pulling another muscle.
He’s rapid off a standing start and moves so quickly with the ball at his feet. Unfortunately, this season he’s still fighting to get somewhere near his best.
It doesn’t help that he’s played several positions under manager Thomas Tuchel due to his versatility, as it’s commonly agreed his best role is as a left-winger. Jamie Redknapp said he was “bullied” last month against Aston Villa when asked to play an unfamiliar striker role.
His best asset is his speed and directness in the final third, so he needs to try get back to attacking defences without fear whenever he gets opportunities on the pitch.
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