Chelsea haven’t had the best of starts under Frank Lampard this season. The Blues were completely outplayed by Manchester United in their opening Premier League fixture before losing to Liverpool on penalties in the UEFA Supercup. And as we brace ourselves for gameweek 2, it’s imperative that Lampard makes the best out of his current crop of individuals.
Christian Pulisic, in particular, will be one of Chelsea’s most valuable players this season following the departure of Eden Hazard. But how can the club legend extract the best of the American international this season?
A conventional winger
It’s almost needless to say that Pulisic loves to feature on the right flank. The 20-year-old has predominantly featured as a right-winger during his time at Borussia Dortmund. And, we could expect more of the same at Chelsea this season.
That being said, deploying him at right-wing will force Pedro out of the starting lineup. The ex-Barcelona star had shown some promise during the fag end of last season, and his work-rate and tenacity could be useful for Lampard this term.
Pulisic did appear at left-wing against Liverpool, and that had made sense, with Pedro starting on the opposite flank. But, it’s also fair to point out that the return of Callum Hudson-Odoi could have a considerable impact. The England youngster is a left-winger by trade and will allow Pulisic to play in his favoured right-hand side.
The ex-Dortmund star is an old-fashioned winger, which means he likes to get to the byline and provide dangerous crosses into the box. This type of play could be useful if Lampard deploys a target man in Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman has a knack for scoring goals and should benefit from the services of two explosive wingers in Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi.
A more central role
Following the departure of Alvaro Morata, we can expect Tammy Abraham to receive a lot of opportunities this season. But, at the same time, the 21-year-old is someone who relies on his technical qualities more than Giroud. That means it would perhaps be wiser for Lampard to deploy Pulisic in a central role when Abraham is on.
This is mainly due to the fact that the American international can effortlessly drift past defenders. His willingness to keep hold of the ball and attract opposing defenders, especially in a central area will allow Abraham to make useful runs in between the defence.
It will also enable the likes of Mason Mount, Ross Barkley or even Hudson-Odoi to operate in a more dynamic role. Hence, Pulisic could turn out to be really effective in the said position, though it will likely force Mount to start on the bench or play out of position.
