Whenever a club hires a new coach, there are instantly some natural concerns in the squad. Will new players come in? Will that coach use a formation that could squeeze them out of minutes? Will they opt for a certain style that could impact a player's development? For Chelsea, a new day is upon them after the sacking of club legend Frank Lampard. Expected to come in for him is former PSG boss Thomas Tuchel, and the German coach brings plenty of reasons for American Christian Pulisic to be excited about his arrival.
Pulisic got his debut for Borussia Dortmund under Tuchel, and they have always had a good bond. Their connection is quite strong. Tuchel is a big believer in Pulisic's ability, and they know a bit about working together to earn trophies.
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Tuchel gave Pulisic 12 games in his first season with the club in 2015-16, including his Bundesliga and Europa League debuts, before playing him in 29 matches the following season, handing him his Champions League debut.
But their most important accomplishment came in the 2017 German Cup final as Dortmund beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1. Pulisic drew the penalty kick in the 67th minute that led to the winning goal after being brought down by Lukas Hradecky. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang finished the penalty, and with that, Pulisic and Tuchel won their first trophy.
With Tuchel reportedly set to join, CBS Sports understands that the two have a good relationship amplified by their success in the 2017 German Cup. If he does end up at Chelsea, then the obvious benefit is there for Pulisic, who similar to Thiago Silva who played under Tuchel at PSG, knows exactly how the coach works.
Given how much Pulisic developed under Tuchel them working together again is an intriguing possibility. If Tuchel does join, you can count on Pulisic getting plenty of minutes and chances to prove himself. If history is any guide expect Tuchel to potentially use Pulisic on both wings and also let him float a bit more into the middle to show off his creativity behind a striker.
