Chelsea boss Tuchel convinced goal-shy Werner can turn around poor form
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(Reuters) – Chelsea’s new manager Thomas Tuchel believes striker Timo Werner has lost confidence because he has been thinking too much about his poor form and urged his fellow German to trust himself in front of goal.
Werner, who arrived at Stamford Bridge from RB Leipzig in June, made a bright start under former boss Frank Lampard, scoring eight goals in his first 13 appearances in all competitions.
However, since then Werner has found the net just once in 16 games, and had a penalty saved on his last outing against Luton Town in the FA Cup.
“At the moment I can see that his face is a bit closed, I can see that the weight is on his shoulders,” Tuchel told reporters ahead of Chelsea’s home match against Burnley on Sunday.
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“He cares a lot, and it shows that he has fantastic character. It is important to rebuild his trust in himself, and to find a smile on his face and to stop doubting himself too much.
“It’s my job to help him with this, and then also find a position where we can use his strengths.”
Werner’s ability to break down deep defensive lines has been questioned in recent weeks but Tuchel wants the striker to focus on his strengths in the attacking areas.
“He is super fast and he likes to play on the last line, very high up but a little bit more to the left so he is half open to the opponents’ goal and can receive balls into the open space,” Tuchel said.
“Can we develop movements, patterns to use his quality in narrow spaces? I’m absolutely convinced we can because the guy is young, the guy is friendly, and the guy is eager to learn.”
(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra)