Chelsea: Timo Werner is at his best on the left wing in a 4-3-3
As Timo Werner extends his goalscoring drought, it’s time to take a look at where he fits best into this Chelsea starting XI.
Timo Werner hasn’t scored in 12 consecutive matches. Turbo Timo, as he became known early on, got off to a scorching hot start to life at Stamford Bridge. He’s since cooled down though and in addition to an overwhelming majority of Chelsea supporters, it’s beginning to baffle the board, as well. Werner made a name for himself in the Bundesliga—mainly RB Leipzig , but also Stuttgart—and announced himself to the world over the last few years as one of Europe’s most prolific scorers. He made a near £50 million transfer to Chelsea in the summer, where he was expected to pick up right where he left off.
There are many things outside factors impacting Werner’s play at the moment, but there is a concerning dip in form regardless. Frank Lampard has seemingly run out of ideas as he tries to get the German back on the scoresheet. Fans are becoming restless, the manager’s job is now under the microscope and Werner is partially to blame for it all. A change was never required funnily enough, Werner’s primary position on the left wing this season is actually his best.
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Before immediately closing out of the current tab and failing to finish this read, it’s crucial that everybody understands one thing. Playing out wide, as Werner has primarily done, is vastly different than playing as a winger. The simple difference is the actions in which the individual performs when in those wide areas. When Werner plays as a central forward, he naturally drifts into the open spaces on either side, primarily the left. This is no secret as his entire performance against Manchester City consisted of this type of play. Lampard has given Werner numerous starts on the left wing for this exact reason.
However, when deployed as a natural winger, Werner’s flaws are exposed. He has struggled heavily to distribute the ball, dribble by Premier League defenders and hold onto possession. Lampard has come under fire from supporters for giving him these responsibilities—in addition to being tasked with crossing into Olivier Giroud—and rightfully so. Simply glancing at a team sheet will only tell you where he played, not how, which is why there are endless cries about the manager playing Werner out of position.
Werner playing as a lone striker will not work in the long run, as much as we all want him to mirror Sergio Aguero’s historic career (he’s made a name for himself being a small striker). He’s gone on the record saying that the defenders in the English top flight are a lot tougher to play against than those in the Bundesliga. That can’t be the only difference though, can it?
When Werner had his breakout season at Leipzig, he was often playing in Julian Nagelsmann’s system that utilized him as a second striker. This allowed Werner to drift into wide areas and straddle the back line where he would then beat defenders using his blistering pace. Lampard is no Nagelsmann though; the two managers use completely different tactics. Therefore, Werner lining up on the left side of the attack in Lampard’s 4-3-3 is the Chelsea manager’s way of trying to recreate the German’s off-ball movements with Leipzig. The left wing position in Lampard’s system is the closest thing to Werner’s spot in Nagelsmann’s side, which is why he’s best there.
Werner has gotten plenty of chances when starting out wide, he’s just not converting them at the moment. That is not a problem, as long as the chances keep coming. When he is asked to perform the tasks of a traditional winger or when he plays as a lone center forward against a low block, that is where he struggles. Therefore, it’s best to let him roam around on the left, playing parallel to the opposing back line.
Perhaps Ben Chilwell can make more advanced runs and deliver crosses into the box or maybe Tammy Abraham can drop deeper into midfield when getting on the ball to open up space in behind. Whatever the solution may be, it’s not moving Werner from the left, at least not yet. This could be a potential solution in the future when playing against teams using high lines to defend. Until then though, and while Chelsea needs results, he should remain on the left wing.
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What do you think is the key to breaking Werner’s slump? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!