Increasingly a key man for Fonseca’s Milan, Christian Pulisic he is the great protagonist of the Rossoneri’s start to the season. The former vice-coach of the United States (under Jurgen Klinsmann) Paolo Stringara spoke to MilanNews.
Pulisic is becoming an essential player for this Milan. He seems to have taken another step
“Absolutely yes. The goal in the derby gave him further confidence and he is a player made especially to play for Milan, because it is a team full of attacking midfielders and he can play anywhere: wide on the right, on the left, behind the first striker. Yes he’s revealing what I expected him to be. When I saw him as a 17-year-old I thought he would become a champion.”
In addition to knowing how to play in all areas of the midfield against Udinese he showed incredible flexibility, all we needed was for him to also play in goal
“In my opinion there are several players, even champions at Milan, who should take Christian as an example for how he makes himself available, for the enthusiasm he has and for what he brings out in every match.”
Message to send to Theo and Leao?
“Already from their body language you see an attitude of condescension, playing without joy. Pulisic plays with joy.”
Precisely the question of leaders at Milan is a topic that has been discussed in recent weeks
“As a footballer, if I see a teammate with an attitude of condescension I deflate. People like Rino Gattuso have played at Milan. If I think about him and then I see Leao it seems like another sport to me and I’m talking about attitude on the pitch. People like Pulisic , but I can say that I also liked Chukwueze with Brugge for his attitude, he makes the difference also because he encourages the others to do better, he transmits enthusiasm, Theo and Leao cannot be the example and it is no coincidence that Fonseca also excluded them, but not because he went crazy. Because, and I say this as a coach, in a dressing room I prefer people who have desire and a healthy attitude. I say: imagine what Milan could do with Theo and Leao.”
Pulisic’s positive attitude can also be seen from the first short interview in Italian. Some players, even after three years in Italy, did not consider it necessary to learn the language.
“And this confirms what I said before: the desire, the will and the sense of belonging. Christian has all these qualities. And if I think of a captain for Milan I imagine him for what he does, for how he behaves , for the attitude he has. And in my opinion he is dragging the eager part of the locker room with him.”
For Fonseca the turning point against Brugge came with the move of Pulisic as central attacking midfielder. In the end, of all the positions, is the central position behind the striker the best?
“In my opinion yes, because he has these ball-and-foot penetrations that are deadly.”