Chelsea: Abraham deserves a start with Tuchel tired of Werner
It’s no secret Chelsea has struggled in front of goal as of late, not being able to take golden opportunities to win or kill games off. The Blues have scored just three in the last five across all competitions. With the season ending in a month’s time, the transfer rumour mill is churning. Thomas Tuchel’s side is being linked with every big name striker under the sun, but there’s a young Englishman who should be given his chance before the season is out.
Tuchel is tiring of Timo Werner not taking chances. Speaking to Chelsea’s channel after the 1-1 draw with Real Madrid on Tuesday, he said: “He [Werner] missed a big one at West Ham, he missed another big one here. That does not help, but it does not help to cry about it or regret it all the time.” While he did not directly call Werner out, it’s telling that those missed chances are grating on the German boss. He’s backed Werner in recent games, and while he did score the winner at the London Stadium, as Tuchel said, he should have bagged more. The Real Madrid game also highlighted poor decision making from all when attacking the hosts in key areas.
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That game showed exactly what having an in-form, world class striker can do. Karim Benzema is one of the most underrated players in the world. He had one clear chance against the Blues, and he took it with aplomb on Tuesday. Real Madrid had one shot on target all night and it shows that’s all a top striker needs to make the difference. Yes, the diagonal ball from Marcelo could have been stopped at source. Yes, Cesar Azpilicueta could have been tighter to Casemiro to stop the header into the box from out wide. Yes, Benzema could have been marked closer, but he fired his warning shot five minutes before that with an effort that struck the outside of the post from range. The one time Chelsea was not completely switched on defensively, it was punished. The defence usually bails out the attack under Tuchel, but could not repay that when it was needed on this rare occasion.
It’s not having a confident striker up front that could be Chelsea’s undoing in the latter stages of the season; not being able to consistently rely on someone to stick the ball in the back of the net. As Tuchel will tweak to find that formula, one man who could help is Tammy Abraham. Tuchel is keen to play with three forwards that rotate and with pace through the middle, but Abraham is no slouch. He can also offer something different if playing more direct. He can hold the ball up and bring the two wingers either side of him into the game, slotting them in while running toward goal, or even offer an aerial threat with crosses if a more direct approach is needed.
Abraham’s not played for a full 90 minutes under Tuchel. In fairness, he suffered an ankle injury from Jamaal Lascelles’ heavy challenge in the Newcastle win in Febraury. He has been recovering from that, and got game time in the dying embers of the West Ham win, his first action for more than two months. The No. 9 had a chance to score even in that short time, but his effort went just over as even his 6’5 frame wasn’t tall enough to get a good connection on Mason Mount’s cross! But with Werner struggling and Olivier Giroud not being able to offer pace in behind, now he’s available again, Abraham could be the answer.
The 23-year-old frontman is still the club’s top scorer, as he was last season. He’s netted 12 this campaign in all competitions, with Werner and Giroud just behind on 11. Werner’s nine assists to Tammy’s four must be noted, but he’s featured a lot more. The stats here work for and against Abraham. His goal conversion percentage is 29, only just behind Giroud’s 31 and Jorginho’s 47 (let’s not forget, he takes penalties) of those who have scored more than one goal this season. Abraham’s shot accuracy is lower than most though, with a rate of just one in two shots on target.
Nevertheless, it’s not just about the figures.
Abraham’s work rate is undeniable too. He chases after every ball, lost causes and always demands more from his teammates. Perhaps more crucially, he demands more of himself. It’s that desire in the box that can be the difference, as well. A player can have all the talent in the world, but if another has more desire to play as well as he can, do what he can do score and put his body on the line, that can count over pure ability.
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Chelsea might dip into the transfer market for a new striker anyway, with Giroud reported to be close to leaving the club. Clubs could be lining up for Abraham if he was to go, and he would be a top addition to any Premier League club. Is there a need to fill a gap up front if the Blues already have someone that deserves to show, and has already shown, he can do just that?