Timo Werner has struggled to make an impact since arriving from RB Leipzig in the summer; new Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel says fellow German Werner is willing to learn and is capable of turning his form around; Tuchel also praises the hierarchical structure in place at Chelsea
Saturday 30 January 2021 13:17, UK
Thomas Tuchel insisted it is his job to turn Timo Werner's form around this season, believing his fellow German is carrying "weight on his shoulders".
Werner joined from RB Leipzig for an initial £45m in the summer, and enjoyed a purple patch in front of goal in October as he appeared to have adjusted to life in the Premier League.
However, the 24-year-old is without a league goal since early November, with his form taking a severe downturn. Nonetheless, Tuchel spoke in depth about his plans for his fellow countryman during his unveiling press conference, highlighting the need for Werner to rediscover his smile.
"Timo prefers to have space," Tuchel said. "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].
"The guy is young, the guy is open, the guy is friendly and the guy is eager to learn. At the moment I can see that his face is a bit closed, I can see that the weight is on his shoulders. He cares a lot, and it shows that he has fantastic character.
"Sometimes as a striker it does not help if you care a lot, it is better as a striker to not care at all, but he is not that guy. He is not happy with himself and the way things have gone lately.
"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."
Tuchel, while coming to London with a reputation for being a good coach, has previously endured strained relationships at some of his former clubs.
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke labelled Tuchel a "difficult person" while it is no secret the 47-year-old had his disagreements with some at Paris Saint-Germain.
Although Tuchel is yet to converse with Roman Abramovich, he feels the structure at Chelsea suits him, and admitted he is still learning how to conduct himself within clubs.
"I won four titles in the last season and that was not enough," Tuchel added. "It came up in the transfer periods, I have to admit, that the wishes and ideas between coaches and sporting directors did not really match. This can happen sometimes.
"Once a relationship gets difficult there is always two sides [to the story]. I am not here to blame anyone. I am absolutely self-aware, this is a thing to improve - to be more relaxed and not too stubborn in my beliefs.
"The structure that I find here is a very clear and easy one to understand. There are not many people to make decisions.
"There were no words from Roman Abramovich so far. I spoke to Marina Granovskaia (Chelsea director) and Petr Cech, and this was very trustful and very honest and clear. I had the feeling that this structure works for me."
