Christian Pulisic brought up double figures in goals for the season with his equaliser against Inter in the Supercoppa Italiana, and he remains vital even with the coaching change.
As MilanNews write, Pulisic now has 10 goals in 22 matches in the 2024-25 season. It means he has reached double figures in goals in both seasons with Milan in all competitions (15 goals last season) while in his career he had previously only managed to do so in 2019-20 (11 goals with Chelsea_.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he doesn’t really like the nickname they gave him in his homeland – Captain America – but the former Dortmund man continues to contribute with big moments in the biggest games.
Against Inter he ran 12.146km over the 90 minutes, the most distance covered in the match, while against Juventus it was also him with 12,290km. All this was while not yet at 100% after the ankle problem at the end of December.
The goal that he netted in the final showed brilliant instinct. The run from the back edge of the box to near the penalty spot was intelligent, the touch and the finish even better. Then, he played a lovely line-splitting pass to Rafael Leao who set up the winner.
If Leao and Theo are as exuberant off the pitch as they are on the pitch, Pulisic is the opposite. He does his work on the quiet, while in terms of quality and consistency of performance, he is certainly the top Milan player in recent months.
There is a lot of curiosity about how Conceiçao will decide to use him, given that he can play on the left or the right wing, plus also as an attacking midfielder. What matters for now though is that he keeps doing what he does best: scoring and creating goals.
Pulisic is arguably the best transfer since Kaka.
His production and especially work rate is next level. You rarely see a winger leading 22 players on the pitch in distance covered. Pulisic and Morata led all players in the Supercopa final.
No, leao. No offence to pulisc but when leao was the best player in the team we won serei a, but remember when pulisc is the best player on the team we won nothing bar a supercup. Pulisc is a great player, but leao is an elite player.
Hahaha, this is a wild statement. First off, when we won the Scudetto, the defense was doing something like allowing 1 goal in 10 matches or close to that. We had a complete midfielder with players that were used to playing together and a consistent director in Maldini and coach in Pioli. So much came together for that season that Leao is only one part of that. Don’t forget Giroud scoring twice against Inter and everything else Giroud did that season. Don’t forget Tonali’s goal or Theo’s runs or all of Tomari’s important goals. I don’t understand why there is this all or nothing with Leao and Puli, can’t they both be elite? No one ever said okay Kaka is elite but Seedorf isn’t…Pulisic is 100% an elite player, he is a winner and if the rest of his team would match his attitude and work rate, we wouldn’t be sitting in 8th place right now. If anything, Puli has contributed 200% more in defense and prevented more goals than Leao so coupled with his goals and assists, the overall contribution is higher than Leao’s in the scudetto season, your logic doesn’t logic very well.
Strong statement. Spot on. Leão is a me first and only kind of guy. If he isn’t getting his he doesn’t care what the team does.
100%
Isn’t Leao on the team with Pulisic?
You act like Leao left and Milan with Pulisic as the best player on the team has only won a supercopa.
What does it say about Leao, who you say is elite, if you at the same time are saying that Pulisic is Milan’s best player?
Also, Milan waited almost 3 years for Leao’s transfer to start bearing fruit. Pulisic, just like Kaka started producing instantly.
I agree. If we look at them as wigers, Pulisic is great and Leao is elite. If we look at them as goalscorers then Pulisic is better. Don’t understand what is Pulisic doing on any of the wings when he can’t dribble past a player or do something on the wing and he is world class at scoring inside the box. Every ball he receives in there is a danger. If we play 4-4-2, Pulisic should be the 2nd striker.
At Chelsea that is what he used to do. He used to dribble past defenders. His game has evolved and he plays differently now which has elevated his game significantly. He has speed(not Leao speed) and by watching him I think he could take on defenders as he shows his pace but he chooses not to try that often. Not sure why really.
Weird statement. Pulisic work rate much better and defense better because of it.
But let’s dive into the stats!
Goal scoring and assists are neck and neck. Successful dual rates are too. Leão completes more dribbles but loses possession at a higher rate to do so. Pulisic passing rates stand well above Leão.
no question Leao had a great season when Milan won the scudetto, but the defense played next level also and he had help from Theo and others. This is version of Theo is abysmal. Even prime Messi would not get the 2024 Milan to win Serie A.
That’s a joke.
Perhaps you’ve forgotten that Pulisic won the Champion’s League with Chelsea, and was one of their main contributors. He scored one and assisted another in their semifinal tie against Real Madrid (Chelsea only scored three goals in that tie).
He’s also captained his national team to three Nations League titles, won the EUFA Super Cup, the Club World Cup, and as long as eight years ago (when he was 18), Pulisic drew the penalty that won the DFB Pokal Final.
People are enthralled by Leao’s speed. He’s like a gazelle ripping past a bunch of boulders on his day. But what good is that if he can’t score, or if the people he passes to can’t score? Pulisic can do it all. He can dribble past players, assist AND score himself.
Here is a third take: Having them both on the pitch makes them both elite. We’ve lost them both to injury at different points of the season. Both have produced less when the other was done. That’s because defenses can better handle one of them alone, but when they’re both there, it’s a nightmare. They’re both top players, but together they’re on another level (if Leao’s motivation remains and Pulisic’s health holds out). What we need is a finisher to complete the elite trifecta. We need someone with a nose for goal to be at the right place and time to pick up any scraps. If only we could clone Inzaghi…
“People are enthralled by Leao’s speed. He’s like a gazelle ripping past a bunch of boulders on his day. But what good is that if he can’t score, or if the people he passes to can’t score? Pulisic can do it all. He can dribble past players, assist AND score himself.”
Aaaaaaaand let’s not forget about the defending. Puli wins 100-0. Look at the “distance run” for each match. Pulisic is on top while Leao couldn’t even match ~40-year-old Giroud’s stats there!
Its crazy but as of 1 Jan Puli was 4th on the team in tackles and is tied for 4th in tackles per 90. This is a winger who if often criticized for his def.
Probably criticized by people who think pace is everything in this game and nothing else matters. 🙂
Let’s be honest here, Pulisic is the most complete player in the club. He does it all. Probably could do a “giroud” and play as a goalie too. 😀
Zlatan Ibrahimović (the first purchase) ?
Thiago Silva ?
Don’t get me wrong, I love what Pulisic is doing and I consider him the best Milan player since he came in 2023 by a comfortable margin but I don’t think he is better than the 2 above when they came.
His transfer was more successfull than Ronaldinho and Ronaldo though and perhaps even Alexandre Pato (although we don’t know what would have happened if we wasn’t always injured).
Zlatan was already one of the best players in the world and serie A best player by far while he was at inter. He did what he was expected from him.
Pulisic, just like Kaka, came in with little to no fanfare. A lot of people especially from our fanbase were criticizing Pulisic signing, saying it was only for selling jerseys and the man came in and in very short time became the best player on the team.
We could make a case about Thiago Silva but he came on a team that had a lot of great players, even though they were towards the end of their careers.
If your criteria for best transfer is how much the player outperform his previous self then I agree that Pulisic and Kakà “surprised” everyone more so than did Ibrahimovic. But isn’t it a bit unfair to expect a 2010 Ibrahimovic, already one of the best strikers in the world, to perform better than expected ? The expectations were set very high with him and he didn’t dissapoint.
Now in the category “performing better than expected” Alexandre Pato is also a good call, at least until injuries, fitness and discipline started destroying him as a player.
We are splitting hairs here.
That’s why I said arguably.
I love Pato. He is IMO the most naturally talented player Milan has had in the last 30 years, but he never lived up to that because of constant injuries. When Zlatan left and it was time for Pato to become the best player, he was passed by El Shaarawy of all people who had one half of a good season in his whole career.
This conversation is fun, but difficult to define. The question is: Which transfer is better based on surpassing expectation? Over how long though? If it’s just over the first season, then yes Kaka and Pulisic are near the top of the list. But if it’s for the rest of the time they were at the club then Pirlo is hands down #1, IMHO, followed by Kaka who is a Ballon D’Or winner. Let’s also not forget Shevchenko, who scored TWENTY FOUR goals in his first Serie A campaign. I mean, he arrived with a lot of promise, but almost no one arrives from a league like the Ukrainian league (in 1999 mind you), and scores 24 goals in their first Serie A campaign. He repeated that the following season too.
You compared Kaka who came from Brazil for 8M to a guy that Chelsea already paid 70m for? Great example, I’d really like to hear more of those. Complete anonymous 😀
Ha ha 😂
Someone has comprehension problems.
Milan didn’t buy the player that was worth 70m, but a player who was called a bust, who did nothing at Chelsea and was often injured. Go read what was said about his signing at the moment he was signed.
FYI if you account for inflation 8 mil in 2003 is really close to the 20m Milan paid for Pulisic in 2023.
You ever heard of the saying “It’s better to stay quiet and appear…..
Also, there is a lot more to being a winger than playing 1v1 and useless dribbling. If that’s all it needs to be called elite, then Allan Saint-Maximin would be the best winger ever.
Pulisic is not just a winger like Leao. Pulisic can play on either wing, can play as a 2nd striker and an attacking midfielder. He can play in many different systems because he isn’t limited to 1 position in 1 system. He brings a lot more to the game than just 1v1. If you read the article it said that he covered more ground than any player in the final.
Leao athleticism is elite. He can beat his man on the wing because he is faster and stronger than most fullbacks.
The American is absolutely clutch for this team. As big a role as Leao and comes through in big matches. Renew this man and keep him for the foreseeable future.
It’s crazy how much distance he covers in a game. Sick, not sick, 100% or less… he’s clutch.
He is but it seems a waste to play him on the wing with how good he is inside the box.
He also fits well with Leao, as they are two different kinds of winger who complement each other. It is probably lost to many that they are the kind of colleague each of them needs.
Good comment. I agree fully.
Exactly! We are best when Leao and Puli are on the pitch together (along with a healthy Theo). Let’s not split hairs on who does what better. These 3 when playing at 100% make us one of the most dangerous clubs in the world. We’re lucky to have them. Let’s not compare speed, 1v1 dribbling skills, etc. When Puli was out for 4 games we struggled in the final 2/3. He makes Leao better and Leao make Puli better. Sign a solid defensive back. That’s what’s needed.
Please stop the nonsense. Pulisic is very good and we hope he will continue like this. Leao has attributes which are second to none and by far more exciting and scarier. His cameo with inter is all you need to see. Some games you can not wait for the ball to come on his feet. Regarding who will be our player of the season, we will see in the summer and i do not see why Pulisic should not be the one.
Pulisic and Leao are both amazing players but they do it differently. Leao is a LW who can’t play anywhere else. He blows by defenders and honestly could be one of the best players in the world if he worked harder and worked on his shooting. Pulisic can play many different positions and works his *** off. I say Pulisic is better right now and has consistently been more clutch because he does what he does most every game where as Leao seems disinterested at times. Both great players though and Milan needs them both.
Well said. They both are amazing in their own way. If Leao learns a better work ethic, we’re golden. And if they can develop their chemistry, as we saw in the cup finals, even better.
That was my whole point! They seemed quite distant with Fonseca, doing less than what they did in 30min against inter.
Agreed to a point. When Leao played while Pulisic was injured, he was off. Defenses clamped down on him. When Pulisic is in the lineup Leao has the freedom to do his thing. We’re lucky to have them both on the field at the same time.
Pulisic gets to the right spot and usually executes the pass or shot, even after he’s been running more than anyone.
It’s tough to be precise late in the match.
Fofana, Gabbia, Hernandez, Maignon, Leao, Pulisic & Reijnders are the core of the next Milan Scudetto-winning team.
That leaves 4 spots open, plus reserves for tactical and the bench. Think like the way a Musah or Jiminez can help cover for Theo or Emerson against a Vini Jr. or Mbappe. A Striker who can play with their back to the goal would be nice too.
Rafa v Puli? Who cares? We have both!
Well said. Let’s strengthen the back line. Too many bad goals given up, especially late in games.
leao is more talented than pulisic but puli has been better this season last season was giroud or leao
Chelsea would not have won the Champion’s League without Pulisic, full stop. Chelsea was on the bubble the year before and only squeezed in because of Pulisic’s run of form (project restart) where he was arguably a top 5 Premier League player. Health has always been the issue, not whether he is an elite player.
This is going too far. Now we have every other thread the endless discussions that feel like some people love Puli and hate Rafa while others love Rafa and hate Puli (while the ones with good common sense but are less vocal, just love both).
They are both great players. They are very different but both great. They have different skills and different shortcomings too, but they both produce a lot for the team, as evidenced by the EXACT same total of goal participations (goals + assists) they have had for the same period (ever since Puli was hired): 39 for each). Exactly equal, and that total is the highest for all Milan players considered over the same period, objectively proving that they are BOTH great.
Puli is more flexible position-wise and has a bigger work rate and is a somewhat better defender (he tries; never always succeeds, but tracks back and runs like crazy). He is also more consistent and a better finisher.
Rafa is more specialized as a powerful left wing that lately has played better than before, more centrally too (so he’s becoming a bit more flexible; but is still way less flexible than Puli). He has more speed and physicality than Puli. He is also stronger health-wise and doesn’t have a history of periods of being injury-prone like Puli has had in his career. His work rate is inferior to Puli’s and he is a lousy defender, but while he finishes less well (while still scoring several goals), he often assists very well and creates goals this way too (like Abraham’s winning goal against Inter). He also attracts more opponent marking than Puli does (Rafa seems to inspire more fear on defenders) which frees up Puli more, like Puli himself has said in an interview. Rafa is less consistent but he can transform a game with multiple dangerous plays while Puli who is more consistent, often does it for one or two essential plays, often not multiple plays like Rafa does when Rafa is having a good game. So Rafa is more all or nothing with good games and bad games, while Puli is more like a constant drip drip of clutch plays.
Puli scores more regularly. Rafa goes by bursts, scores less but assists more. At season end things even out and they tend to have a very similar total of goal participations in goals + assists (so far, exactly equal).
Me, I love both and I’m happy that they are both Milan players. I consider them as the co-best Milan players. I couldn’t care less if one finishes the season slightly ahead of the other in goal participations, or they finish equal, and I also couldn’t care less, in case one finishes ahead of the other, if that one is called Puli or Rafa.
We should drop this endless discussion and just be happy that they are both Milan players. I hope they both stay with us for the duration (unlike the idiots who kept asking for Rafa to be sold).
Oh, and for those who keep bashing Rafa as “lazy”, it’s extremely easy to notice that for the last several games, Rafa has increased his work rate. I never thought he was truly lazy. I always felt he was the kind of player who has bursts of energy then quiets down to recover, but he played under a coach, Pioli, who was too complacent regarding Rafa not tracking back; once this got more required of him by Fonseca (and likely Conceição’s philosophy also wants players to try their best in all phases of the game), Rafa did try to improve on that, and has improved, Still, even when he tries, he remains a lousy defender and this can’t be truly helped as not all players are good at both defending and attacking. This kind of standard is too unfair. Nobody has ever complained that Messi doesn’t track back and doesn’t defend, which he doesn’t. Messi’s club fans were not known for complaining of that. Somehow the Milan fan base is ready to crucify Rafa, a forward, for not defending well. I’m not saying Rafa is as good as Messi, of course. I’m just saying that not all forwards in football track back and defend well; not even the greatest of them all, does that.
I do think that not even trying is bad, like Rafa used to do and Pioli allowed. But Rafa has been trying more, although mostly unsuccessfully. Puli tries hard but isn’t THAT successful at defending either. He’s more successful than Rafa but not extremely successful. Puli often tracks back but gets beaten by the opponents’ forwards. It’s commendable that he tries hard though, and I also praise Rafa for reacting maturely to the pressure he got from Fonseca to track back more (and presumably Conceição will continue that); Rafa did visibly try to comply with that, unlike Theo who when criticized, sulked more. Rafa showed in this that he got more professionalism than Theo.
As far as the discussions about the Scudetto season above, yes, we had great defense, Kessié was very instrumental, Mike was too, the midfield was good, Giroud helped, etc etc, all that is true. But Rafa was still picked, DESERVEDLY, as the season’s MVP, officially, by the league Serie A. Yes, many others contributed but it can’t be denied that Rafa’s contribution was HUGE and we most likely wouldn’t have won the Scudetto without him. The haters tend to forget this, too easily. We’d probably not have won without Kessié either, as shown by our steep decline once Kessié left. But minimizing Rafa’s contribution to the Scudetto is ABSURD and again, is a feature of the irrational hatred some “fans” harbor for him.
I find it hard to understand why supposedly true Milan fans would hate either one of our two best players, after all that they do for the team (again, 39 goal participations for each). It doesn’t make any sense. Can’t we all be happy that we have both?
The haters often focus on the stereotype (marginally racist) of calling Rafa “lazy,” or the xenophobic blame that Puli is “American.” I find both attitudes regrettable. There is no space for either attitude. Rafa is not “lazy” as evidenced by his mature reaction of trying harder when questioned about his work rate; he was just mismanaged by Pioli, who allowed him for too long to not try to defend. Puli can’t be blamed for the place where he was born. People hate our American owner and this spills over Puli, which is very unfair as Puli never did anything other than trying hard to help the team. Puli’s paternal grandmother, by the way, was 100% Italian so Puli’s blood is 25% Italian, which is more than can be said of several other foreign players we have who have 0% Italian blood, but somehow don’t collect the same xenophobic hatred that is reserved for Puli.
Neither player deserves the hatred. Both deserve gratitude and admiration for what they do for AC Milan. It doesn’t really matter which one is better. They are both great, in different ways.
It’s not hatred to debate that one is better then the other. Rafa is working harder since he was benched but before that he was extremely lazy and it’s not rascist to say that. It’s just a fact which was clear when watching him play. They are both great players but it’s ok to have an opinion as to who is better since Puli got to Milan. Don’t take everything so personally.
Why do you think I’m taking it personally? Saying that Puli is better than Leão or saying that Leão is lazy doesn’t affect ME personally. We are here to debate AC Milan and that’s what I did. There is nothing personal about it.
By the way, like I said over and over, while I kind of defend Rafa more here, simply because he is more attacked, my very favorite Milan player, and the one whose name and number are on my Milan jersey, is Christian Pulisic. So, no reason to suspect me of taking what is said about Rafa personally.
The recent Milan jerseys that I’ve owned over the last three seasons, had Tonali’s name (haha, I no longer wear that one), Pulisic, Gabbia… I never owned a jersey with Leão’s name on it. Still, some idiots here call me a Rafa fan boy.
I just focus more on him because he is more attacked than Puli, but I also defend Puli when someone doubts that he is great and insinuates that he is with us because he is American and the owner is American. I defended Reijnders too when Maldini’s Heir unreasonably attacked him. I defended Fofana when people were impatient at the very beginning with his form (see, he came to Milan out of shape as Monaco had isolated him and didn’t even allow him to train with the team, during his long transfer negotiations). Without understanding that an out-of-shape player who joins (AFTER the pre-season) a new league, a new team, and a new coach, needs some time to gel, some posters here overly criticized him, then, I defended him. Anyway, I speak up when people bash Milan players for no reasonable reason; given that Rafa is by far the most attacked one, I defend him more, but I also defend others.
Yes, it’s OK to debate who is better since Puli got to Milan, and I have no problem with people who do REASONABLY that. I do have a problem with people who spout unreasonable and unwarranted criticism, like the xenophobes who keep bashing Puli for being American.
Regarding Rafa being lazy, I disagree. It’s player characteristics, not laziness. If he were truly lazy, he wouldn’t have tried to improve his work rate when he was challenged about it. A truly lazy person wouldn’t have cared and would have continued to be lazy.
We often forget how young Leão was, up to recently. I think his perceived laziness has a lot to do with how Pioli managed him. Pioli seemed to have no problem whatsoever with Leão only participating in the offensive phase, and just stopping and walking around when the ball was in our defense, waiting for the next pass to arrive his way. I guess Leão thought that that was OK as that was what Pioli asked of him and seemed to tolerate or maybe even endorse. Young players often just do what the coach tells them.
However the way Rafa reacted when he was challenged by Fonseca on this, shows that he is not inherently lazy; he was just mismanaged by his previous coach.
See, Rafa is not just the target of justified criticism. When it’s warranted, I have granted to him low post-game scores in my posts. However, he is often the target of rabid, prejudicial criticism and I won’t stand for that. For example, there is an idiot here who used to keep bashing Rafa for liking fashion and music, something all kids his age enjoy. This idiot kept saying that Rafa wasn’t focused enough on training because he just wanted to go away from Milanello to sing rap music. This is preposterous as it’s a wild guess with not an ounce of reality. Rafa was NEVER criticized by any club official for supposedly neglecting his training. There is not a SINGLE piece of evidence that he does that.
See, there are players who were caught doing that, like Ronaldinho who is a party boy. Nobody from AC Milan has ever insinuated that Rafa did that. So, obviously, Rafa’s fashion and music interests are only exercised during his free, personal time, like anybody is entitled to do. People have hobbies, and young people often include fashion and music among these hobbies.
Still, that idiotic poster kept going on and on about how Rafa neglected Milan because of rap music, with no evidence to support it. That is highly prejudicial, and I suspect that it is racist too.
Lazy, only interested in rap music, less intelligent… come on, those are racial stereotypes that racists often spout against black people. I’m not saying that everybody who criticizes Rafa for that is racist… but I’m sure that SOME are.
Again, there is no evidence that Rafa is less intelligent. One evidence of high intelligence is verbal IQ. Rafa speaks very good Italian, much better than many of the other foreigners who play for Milan. I know, because I’ve personally heard him talk in Italian. That, for me, suggests that Rafa is an intelligent guy.
By the way, Puli’s Italian is improving too, which I very much enjoy seeing. Puli is very committed to acquiring an Italian identity, and he speaks out about it, saying that his Italian grandmother would be proud, and saying that his father has had, since a young age, an Italian flag tattooed on his forearm, as a tribute to Puli’s father’s Italian mother. Still, Puli gets bashed by xenophobes. Go figure.
I’ve always seen intelligence on the pitch as a players ability to anticipate, read the game, make decisions under pressure, etc. When I and I’m sure others say Pulisic has a higher IQ on the pitch it’s because he seems to do those things better. Aka he’s more intelligent on the pitch. Has nothing to do with who’s more intelligent off the pitch. For now I consider Pulisic a better all around player but I’ve also stated Leao has the God given talent to be a top 5 player in the world if he can improve and work on a few aspects of his game . Anyways Milan needs them both and last game was exactly what is needed going forward.
That is fair. I also think that Puli has an extremely high football IQ. It is hard to match his intelligence on the pitch, not only for Rafa, but for any other player including the very best in the world. I do believe that Puli by now has solidified his status as a world-class player. The only reason why he is not more in evidence in awards and all, is because he plays in the neglected Serie A which is less visible to world fans and to the journalists who participate in these award votes, than the EPL and La Liga. Given that he is my favorite Milan player, I enjoy knowing that you also see his on-the-pitch high intelligence. Bravo!
Rafa however, while not matching Puli’s extraordinary football intelligence (who can match it?), is far from being dumb on the pitch. Just watch how he positioned himself to receive Puli’s pass then how he very consciously set up Abraham for the tap-in. That was a golazo, and Rafa demonstrated football intelligence there, the way he handled the play. The sheer fact that Rafa often assists his companions and puts them in a position to score (sometimes they convert; sometimes they fail him; if they didn’t, Rafa would have collected even more assists) shows football intelligence.
The very football-intelligent Pulisic has repeatedly praised Rafa in interviews, and has detailed how Rafa helps him. He helps Rafa too. We have two extraordinary wingers, and their spectacular play in the Supercoppa italiana won the trophy for us.
Puli spoke up to defend Rafa, when many journalists and fans were mad at him. Look, it is incredible that a high-placed Milan official has even said that he would personally pack Rafa’s bag to ship him away. That is fully preposterous, unprofessional, and idiotic; how does a high administrator say something like this of one of the club’s own players??? It was very disrespectful; no wonder Rafa had a period of being unmotivated and talked to his agent to find him another club. Puli wasn’t having it, and spoke up to defend Rafa. Another one who also spoke up for Rafa at the time, was Kaka. He’s also a highly football-intelligent guy.
I find it interesting that Puli, with all his great football IQ, clearly sees Rafa’s qualities. Conceição also does; he gave a post-game press conference statement about Rafa that is one of the biggest praises and endorsements that Rafa has always received. Kaka agrees.
So, three highly football-intelligent people, Christian Pulisic, Kaka, and Sérgio Conceição, all three understand how great Rafa is.
Meanwhile, some idiots here don’t see it and even keep proposing that Rafa should be sold (although that has been a bit quieter lately, given that Rafa’s outstanding work in the last several games including the Supercoppa final, shut them up).
By the way, I’m not including YOU as one of the idiots. You actually make sense. But some other people here, I shake my head.
“Why do you think I’m taking it personally?”
LOL!!!!!!!! Maybe the 5-page essays every time someone says anything negative about Leao. 😀 😀 😀 😀
Just like above. Ridiculous.
I’m verbose in all my posts, idiot. It’s a characteristic of mine and has nothing to do with Rafa, and who do you think you are to censor me? If you had any reading comprehension and any attention span, you’d have noticed that I spoke as much about Puli as about Rafa in those very posts you are commenting upon. Look, if you have the attention span of a chicken and can’t read long posts, don’t read mine; I couldn’t care less. I don’t force you to read me. As a matter of fact, if you don’t respond to me at all from now on, I’d actually like that because you’re a dumb idiot with zero comprehension of football and your ridiculous takes don’t contribute anything to the discussions, other than demonstrating that you are an irrational and hateful troll.
Idiot? Irrational? Hateful troll? LOL. It must be hard for you as everyone loves Mario and not the poor Luigi. I get it. It eats you alive. 😀 😀 😀
You are rating Pulisic’s defending way too low. Looks at the stats – for example tackles and tackles per 90. You will be surprised.
The Chelsea attacker repeatedly eluded and frustrated a physical Portuguese defence
Christian Pulisic drew more fouls on Tuesday for Chelsea than anyone has in the Champions League since 2011, winning 11 free kicks in a 1-0 defeat that still saw the Blues move past Porto on aggregate.
The last player to reach that mark in the competition was Lionel Messi against Real Madrid in a semi-final victory a decade ago.
Who was Porto’s Coach for this game???????Sergio Conceica
Sérgio Conceição
Another former Porto player, Sérgio Conceição, was hired in June 2017. His team won the 2017–18 Primeira Liga, the club’s first honour for five years. He set the record for most games as manager of Porto, winning eleven honours including three league titles and the double in 2019–20 and 2021–22.
List of FC Porto managers – Wikipedia
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Wikipedia
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Sérgio Conceição
Knock it off guys. I don’t get this “who’s better” beef. We have two great wingers on our team who also complement each other well.
Mike, Theo, Gabbia, Fofana, Reijnders, Leao and Pulisic are core of this team now. I just hope they build around it and not dismantle it.
I think Thiaw can be core just need a bit more work on his positioning when the other team bypasses our midfield – He has improved ALOT
Yes, like you said, he has improved a lot. Thiaw has been making steady progress. He used to be very error-prone, getting involved in gaffes like causing a PK in favor of the opponents. Thiaw hasn’t had any serious errors for a good while, lately.
The issue with Thiaw’s positioning is likely one of lack of experience. Thiaw is still very young. When we had a veteran in our defense like Kjaer, he used to be a leader for other defenders, and used to direct them in their positioning. Nowadays we no longer have Kjaer and some of our defenders at times look lost and uncertain.
But Thiaw’s football intelligence is improving, and he is becoming a very precious defender for us.
His performance in the Derby was phenomenal. I re-watched the game and counted not one, not two, but six occasions in which Thiaw decisively thwarted attacks by Inter that were very likely to result in goals. He did that throughout the game, from the beginning (when he competently dispossessed Lautaro when the latter was about to score).
Yes, Thiaw did bear some responsibility for one of Inter’s goals. But then, he also avoided six others. That’s a very positive balance. Together with Mike, Thiaw kept the score low for Inter and without both Mike’s and Theo’s defensive actions, we’d have lost the game. For the fact that the 3 goals we scored counted, they counted because the defense only conceded 2, despite Inter having created other very good opportunities.
I’ve been granting to Thiaw MOTM-worthy scores for several games now. One can say that if this continues, Thiaw will become Milan’s best defender, or co-best, together with the other very promising defender, Gabbia.
TLDR
Pulisic – work horse – playmaker – CLUTCH – goal scorer – can play 3 positions
Leao – SPEED – dribbling – playmaker –
BOTH ARE NEEDED BOTH ARE AMAZING!
Agreed!
A selection headache brought along by solid form is better than having a selection headache of players that aren’t performing.
Don’t know what folks are complaining about.
People looooove to complain. It is how it is.