Chelsea have been urged not to give up on Christian Pulisic and instead, to find a 'system' that suits him amid Ousmane Dembele transfer rumours.
Pulisic, 23, has struggled to really find a rhythm in Thomas Tuchel's set up so far this season and that hasn't been helped by the current injury predicament in west London.
The USA international usually turns in his best performances on the wing in an attacking position but has been tasked on occasions to fill in the right-wing-back role.
But when he has been given the licence to play in the front three, it has certainly been a mixed bag for the player.
Inconsistencies have worried manager Tuchel, who has recently admitted to wanting to see much more from his attacking players who have faltered on the whole this term.
Tuchel explained after the loss at the Etihad Stadium: "We had not enough chances for the ball wins, the movements, the opportunities that we could have had. We could have had many more chances if we played with better timing and precision. It is simply like this.
"The performance in the first half in the opponents' half, we had eight or nine transition chances and out of them, we didn’t have a touch in the box. That’s what I’m critical about.
"That you miss chances, there is no problem in that. Everybody wants to score from every big chance and, of course, you don’t get a lot in top games. But efficiency, you need a bit of luck and composure."
A certain 'composure' that could be brought about if Dembele was brought in from Barcelona before the January deadline, with Xavi and co. keen to cut their losses before the Frenchman's contract expires in the summer.
Amid rumours doing the round of Chelsea preparing to submit a £13m offer for the player who is out of contract come the summer, Guys Poyet reckons the answer to these attacking woes is closer to home as he believes that playing a different 'system' can unlock the likes of the 23-year-old.
"Chelsea is playing in a system where the wingers cause massive problems as they play with two wide wing-backs. So the wingers like (Christian) Pulisic and (Hakim) Ziyech adapt themselves as wing-backs or they adapt themselves to play a little more in-field, like a second striker," Poyet told bettingexpert in an interview.
"This means you're not playing in your best position. This is a problem for him (Pulisic) and Hudson-Odoi. For me, Pulisic and Hudson-Odoi are wingers - they can get in diagonal, they can deliver (crosses), can go past 1-v-1 and can get in the box as well.
"We saw this year, play a lot as wing-backs or inside in a three. That is not for everyone. Sometime people will adapt and get the best of them anyway and some people will suffer and not give you the best."
"Where do you want to see Pulisic most of the time? In the last 30 yards, 1-v-1."
With Dembele being linked to moving from Spain, his former Borussia Dortmund teammate Pulisic has been linked to potentially going the other in upcoming transfer windows but Poyet believes he is still an 'important' player to the European Champions, despite recent struggles.
He said: "He (Christian Pulisic) is still an important player (for Chelsea) but I'm sure it depends how long he's not going to be playing in his best position.
"That happens when you have certain characteristics of players and the best system for the coach and team is different to your abilities. Then you find yourself in a strange situation.
"Decisions. One day you need to find out.
"If you ask me, I would like to see Pulisic wide in a proper 4-3-3. I don't know if it will be at Chelsea because this Chelsea system is different. I think that way he will give you the best of his ability. There are many clubs where he could fit in well.
"Or to keep improving at that (playing as a wing-back at Chelsea). Who knows, maybe I'm talking to you in three months time and saying - 'oh, by the way, Pulisic is very good as a wing-back.'"
