Thomas Tuchel may have an answer for why Timo Werner is not among goals at Chelsea recently
Speaking in an interview on Saturday (h/t Daily Mail), Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel stated that his team’s possession-based football might be the reason behind Timo Werner being stifled recently.
The German striker joined the Blues for £47.5m from RB Leipzig last summer. And since then, he has scored just 5 times in his first 24 league games, with the theme continuing even after Tuchel’s appointment.
Werner has scored just 1 league goal in his first 5 league games under Tuchel, but the German boss believes that Chelsea’s footballing style could be behind the 24-year-old’s poor return in front of goal.
“Maybe it is our fault because we have a lot of possession and we push opponent teams very, very deep in their half so spaces are not too big.”
All in good time
This is a very likely reason as to why Werner is not reproducing his Bundesliga form in England. Chelsea have enjoyed 69% possession in their first 6 league games under the former PSG boss.
“The biggest strength of Timo is to attack the space behind the last line so it is maybe also our fault in the dominant game that we play in the moment, it is very natural that the spaces are closed by the opponents.”
The gaffer, however, offers a solution and thinks Werner can use his acceleration. But, he realizes that it is not so easy for Werner and hence, is willing to be patient with the German international.
Werner is being deployed more often in a central role in the front line, something which was not easy to come by for him under Frank Lampard. (h/t transfermarkt)
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He would now hope to repay the manager’s trust in him. There is a considerable part of the season still left where he can prove himself to the club.