USMNT star Christian Pulisic has been in fine form for AC Milan this season.
However, one former Italian coach believes that the San Siro side is also ‘struggling’ because of him and a key teammate.
Christian Pulisic Criticized by Fabio Capello
The former Chelsea forward has scored eight goals and assisted twice in 15 Serie A matches this season. His form has seen the San Siro side sitting second in the table, just behind derby rivals Inter Milan.
Manager Max Allegri has repeatedly insisted that the club’s only target this season is to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season. He does not think they are ready to compete for the title, but Capello believes that it is just a tactic to take the pressure off himself and the players.
The former England national team boss believes that the main issue for AC Milan this season is the lack of a center forward, as Inter Milan does. He claimed that Pulisic and Rafael Leao playing up front have led to the Rossoneri’s struggles to score, which has resulted in the slip-ups. He told La Gazzetta dello Sport:
“Exactly, they are forwards who like to mix it up, drop back, or spread out to receive the ball and create. Pulisic knows how to move a bit better in the area, but Leao is learning now. Neither of them are Lautaro, though, and that shows.”
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It was not the first time Capello had criticized Pulisic this month. He claimed that the USMNT star was trying to be Ronaldo Nazario rather than shoot when he had the chance. He wrote about AC Milan’s draw against Fiorentina and said:
“Pulisic did everything thanks to (Niclas) Füllkrug. The attacking duo created two or three chances out of nothing, but the American uncharacteristically missed them all. Mistakes uncharacteristic of him, like when he tried to beat (David) De Gea instead of shooting, even though there was no space: in that space, only Ronaldo Nazario could have beaten the goalkeeper and scored.”
Pulisic has been the subject of a lot of talk this month, as Herculez Gomez also claimed that the former Chelsea man was not the best American soccer star. He claimed that the USMNT star has done well for the club, but added that he needs to turn up for the national team if he wants to be touted as the best player from the United States.
