With Frank Lampard’s era at Chelsea now disappearing into the distance, Thomas Tuchel has been brought in to try and re-invigorate an underperforming bunch of football players.
There’s little doubt that one of the issues that would’ve hastened Lampard’s departure is the fact that he was unable to get the best out of German international, Timo Werner.
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It’s not as if the player didn’t flag things up with his manager either.
According to Bild’s Christian Falk as cited by the Daily Express, an aggravated Werner explicitly told Lampard that he was being played out of position.
The Blues boss was hamstrung to some degree by his own willingness to hoover up talent in the last transfer window.
By having to find space for the likes of Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and others, the only way in which Werner could be accommodated was wide on the left.
Perhaps now, with the benefit of a fresh pair of eyes, Werner can get back to the form that saw Chelsea buy him in the first place.
Tuchel certainly thinks so.
“Timo prefers to have space” he was quoted as saying by the Daily Express.
“He is super fast, likes to play very high up on the last line. A little bit more to the left, to receive the ball in the open space.
“Can we develop movements and patterns of behaviour to use his quality in narrow spaces? I am absolutely convinced, and that is my job [to do that].
“It is important to rebuild his trust in himself, and to re-find a smile on his face and to stop doubting himself too much. It is my job to help him with this, and to help find the position where we can use his strengths.”
Time will tell if Tuchel is the right fit for the Blues, and if he can spark Werner et al into life.