Date: 9th March 2021 at 1:33pm
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If your lost you can look and you will find them; 

Timo and Kai

If you’re needing a goal, just look for the Germans 

Timo and Kai

Timo and Kai 

Timo and Kai

Much has been made of the form (or lack of it) of Chelsea’s big summer signings Timo Werner and Kai Havertz.

The German duo arrived at Stamford Bridge with hefty price tags and high expectations, yet both have so far failed to deliver a substantial return on the investment made in them.

In fact it could be argued that the inability to get the pair firing was a factor in the departure of Frank Lampard.

New manager Thomas Tuchel has employed Werner as he describes “a 9.5” playing not quite a central striker and not really a number 10.

It’s closer to the position that saw him thrive at Leipzig.

There’s encouraging signs it’s working, he no longer looks like the broken player we saw at full time against Fulham near the end of Lampard’s tenure.

And if it wasn’t for the fact he has arms, he would’ve had a goal at Anfield last week. Yes he missed chances against Everton, but he’s getting in the right situations to have chances and right now that’s the positive.

It’s true he appears to be a volume shooter, someone who needs a lot of chances in order to get a goal, but that could change over time.

If you could add a couple of players around him who also create a high number of opportunities then we’re bound to score goals.

One of those players could be Kai Havertz who deputised as false 9 for Tuchel against Everton last night.

There was nothing false about his performance though, the 21-year-old ran the show and should’ve had a goal if not for a Ben Godfrey deflection and a dodgy VAR call.

Things have been more complicated for Havertz since he joined, a really bad bout of COVID and looking at times under Lampard like a square peg in a round hole.

Under Tuchel, he’s been used sparingly. A few bright moments off the bench before this start last night.

It felt like an announcement, a proclamation that Kai has arrived in English football.

Perhaps this new role could be the making of him in a Chelsea shirt. He certainly has the physical presence to lead the line, but also the skill and the talent to link up play with the two players behind him.

Add to that the speed to get in behind when needed and you’ve got someone who fits Tuchel’s current system perfectly.

Whether or not Tuchel sticks with this 3-4-3 in the long term or not is a different question, but right now, the ends seem to justify the means.

Even if that means Tammy Abraham and Oliver Giroud become bit part players.

As we all know success at Chelsea is measured in trophies, but the club might be celebrating Tuchel getting Werner and Havertz firing on all cylinders just as much.

 

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