Werner reveals tweak in position from Tuchel who is an ‘ideas’ coach

Timo Werner TEAMtalk

Timo Werner has revealed how a tweak in his position from new Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has got the German attacker in a more confident mood.

Werner has struggled for form and goals since his £47.5m transfer from RB Leipzig last summer.

The forward’s struggles had coincided with a sticky patch of form for the Blues, who had slipped off the pace in the Premier League.

Now though after three successive victories Tuchel’s men are within a point of the top four after an unbeaten start from the German coach.

A draw against Wolves and wins over Burnley, Tottenham and Sheffield United seems to have restored confidence at Stamford Bridge.

“Every manager is different in how he wants us to play,” said Werner.

“He gives us a lot of ideas. Now I play as a left number 10, not a left winger, so I have more space for my runs in the middle and can play behind a striker, or with a number 10 behind me as a second striker.

“So it’s very good for me and I think there were also good moves from the manager in the last two wins.

“If we go back three or four matches, when the manager was not yet here, we were nine or 10 points behind the top four,” Werner told Chelsea’s 5th Stand app .

“We watched the table and were like, ‘oh, it might not be so good at the end of the season’.

 

Chelsea v Newcastle Match Preview, February 15, 2021

Chelsea v Newcastle Match Preview, February 15, 2021

A look ahead to the Premier League game between Chelsea and Newcastle, including stats on form, possession, shots, cards, corners, top scorers and previous meetings.

 

“Now we are really good, back in shape, and I think if we keep going like this we can put more pressure on the other teams.”

Goal to come

Werner, 24, has only scored once in the last 16 games and that was in the FA Cup win over Morecambe last month.

He has though picked up a couple of assists in the last two games and won the penalty in the 2-1 win at Sheffield United. And there are signs that the Stuttgart-born forward is starting to find his feet.

Speaking after the 2-1 win at Bramall Lane, he said: “For myself, again no goal but it is good to see that I can help the team with other things at the moment. I keep going.

“I am happy when we win. When I can make two assists like today it is also good but as a striker you want to score. It is a long time now for me, the longest in my career. You have to keep going and the goals will come.

“I got a dead leg – that’s what you call it in England I think – it was at the penalty. The 10 or 15 minutes after were hard, so I told the manager he should take me off because it was a tight game and in the end it’s better to have 11 fit players on the pitch than 10-and-a-half.’

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