The Blues boss Thomas Tuchel said he is satisfied with both Timo Werner and Kai Havertz but also sent a warning that they are no longer in their “adjustment phase”.
The German duo have shown glimpses of their full potential in the last year or so since joining Chelsea. Werner finished last season with more goal contributions (12 goals and 12 assists, via FBref) in all competitions than any other Chelsea player.
Meanwhile, Havertz had cemented his spot as the first-choice No.9 prior to Romelu Lukaku’s arrival. In this role, he scored several important goals for Chelsea, including the winning goal in the Champions League final.
These are far from disappointing, obviously, but they have also yet to replicate their Bundesliga form so far.
Some inconsistency in their first season at the club was perhaps inevitable. However, Tuchel underlined that Werner and Havertz should no longer be considered in a period of adaptation. Tuchel told German publication BILD:
“We have to keep improving to at least deliver at the same level. For Kai and Timo, that means the adjustment phase is over. They know what is at stake here now. They have made their mark, played their part in a big success. And now it’s about moving on – and that’s what they’re doing. I am very happy with both of them.”
Admittedly, Werner has also been unfortunate with some refereeing decisions, having had a total of 16 goals disallowed by VAR since joining Chelsea.
On a positive note, this also suggests that Werner has not entirely lost his ability to score. If he improves his positioning and avoids these marginal offside calls, he can hopefully show why he was once one of the most-feared strikers in Europe.
