The 24-year-old USA international has continued to struggle to secure a regular role even after the sack of Thomas Tuchel as he is yet to start the last three games since Potter was appointed. (Read More Here).
Pulisic has openly admitted to being frustrated at the club following his lack of playing time during Tuchel’s reign.
However, Arsenal legend, Henry urged the former Borussia Dortmund star who was left on the bench in Chelsea’s 3-0 win over AC Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, to start making an impact at Stamford Bridge.
Christian Pulisic has been given a wake-up call by Thierry Henry after being an unused substitute in Chelsea’s 3-0 Champions League win vs. AC Milan, with the Arsenal legend urging the USMNT talisman to ‘show something’ amid a rocky start to the season.
The winger has received minimal playing time this season with just one start in all competitions, though it was thought the arrival as Graham Potter as manager could open the door for the American.
‘How many managers are not going to trust you? It’s gonna have to be you at one point. So find a way.’
Pulisic has now played under three Chelsea managers – Potter, Tuchel and Frank Lampard, and has seen his number of starts dwindle each year since the latter’s first season in charge.
Pulisic has put up respectable numbers, with 25 Chelsea goals to his name in all competitions, but started just 13 Premier League games last season and was linked away from the club last summer after the arrival of Raheem Sterling.
The American also recalled in his autobiography how he was ‘dumbfounded’ at Tuchel’s decision not to start him in the 2020-21 Champions League semifinal second leg vs. Real Madrid, a match that he said Tuchel told him prior he’d be starting.
And his situation has not improved under Potter yet either.
‘The manager at Chelsea changes quite a lot, and you always think, OK, you’re gonna have a chance, a new chance at proving something, he might play differently,’ Jamie Carragher said.
‘But we haven’t seen much of him already, and it’s early days for Graham Potter but Thomas Tuchel didn’t use him too much, certainly the new manager [hasn’t] in these early games. So I think it’s a little bit worrying for America in terms of the World Cup.
Pulisic is a nailed-on starter for the USMNT in Qatar, who will face Wales in their first match before facing England and Iran.
But his spotty playing time of late has seen him linked with moves to Juventus and Milan and could mean that Gregg Berhalter’s main man is below his best during the tournament.
Pulisic has channeled his frustration to positive effect before, as he delivered a game-sealing assist to Mason Mount in that Madrid semifinal, and Henry called on him to repeat that sort of resilience on Wednesday night.
‘Connor Gallagher came on the other day against Palace, yes I know [Pulisic] gave him the ball and Connor Gallagher still had to score that goal… but it’s showing something, that’s why [Gallagher] came on tonight. Because he scored against Palace away,’ he said.
‘So at one point show us something and what you can do and maybe be fit for the World Cup for the US team. But how many managers are not going to trust you? At one point, it’s gonna have to be you, you have to show something.’
But the 24-year-old had no chance to add to his tally on Wednesday night as he was an unused sub as Chelsea beat AC Milan 3-0.
And Henry did not hold back in his comments about the struggling Stars and Stripes ace.
The Arsenal hero, now a Champions League pundit for CBS Sports, said: “At one point you’re going to have to bring something to the table, I know I’m repeating myself but it’s true.
“How many managers are not going to trust you? It’s going to have to be you at one point. So, find a way.
“The other day Conor Gallagher came on against Palace, yes, I know he [Pulisic] gave him the ball and Gallagher still had to score [from range] but it will go down as an assist.
“But it’s showing something, it’s why Gallagher came on tonight, because he scored against Palace.
“At one point show us something, and what you can do, and maybe he’ll be fit for the World Cup and the US team.
“But how many managers are not going to trust you? At one point it’s going to have to be you, you have to show something.”
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