Paul Merson has slammed Thomas Tuchel's decision to start out of favour forward Timo Werner, for the Premier League west London derby return against Brentford, with the pundit making a 'horrible' remark against the £50million man who failed yet again to make a 'difference'.
Werner, 26, made his 81st outing from the start in a surprise fashion against Thomas Frank's Bees as the former RB Leipzig man was selected to play in a front three consisting of fellow national compatriot Kai Havertz and Hakim Ziyech. It was somewhat of a surprise to see the German start in this one, especially considering his lack of first-team minutes in recent weeks before the international break and his frustrations with his time in west London were summed up with what he had to say during the break.
Speaking after the Israel win, he said: "I'm a striker and always want to score. Things aren't going the way I'd like at Chelsea, so it's all the better that things are going well here under Hansi Flick. "I really enjoy playing football, no matter where I'm playing. There are differences in the style of play between football at Chelsea and here. "Maybe the one at the national team suits me better. Here, I always have scoring chances, I can score goals. I feel very comfortable here." Werner's contract currently expires in 2025 amid interest from Borussia Dortmund, and if it was a decision for Merson to make in the summer, there would be only one outcome on the cards- sell the 26-year-old if the restrictions are lifted in time.
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Speaking on Soccer Saturday ahead of kick-off, whilst disagreeing with Tuchel's decision to start Chelsea's number 11, he said: "If Werner is not there, I'm not being horrible, but it won't make much difference. "He hasn't fulfiled his potential, or he hasn't come with what is expected at Chelsea. The way he was playing at Leipzig, he was a different player. I think playing in the pandemic didn't help anybody. I don't think he's recovered from that. He has been given another chance today, and who knows, football can change quickly. If he plays today and plays well, then all of a sudden, Tuchel goes, 'you know what, I'll play him against Real Madrid', and he could become a superstar once again.
"But I do worry for Chelsea in the next three years or so. When these players' contracts run out, I think the people having the marches will worry if the new owners will put money into the club. We've seen what happened to the Glazers at Man United." These concerns were filtered through to the pitch as the Blues played out a tepid and boring 45 minutes against their opponents. In all fairness, if Ivan Toney had his finishing boots on from the start, then Frank's side could have easily netted one or two early on.
In terms of Werner, as per @NizaarKinsella, 'Tuchel berating Timo over his movement there.' It was a first-half performance that had many in uproar on social media who had simply lost their patience with a player that was expected to be the final piece of the jigsaw. Here are some of the reactions.
@Emenalo joked: 'Timo Werner should do an interview saying he misses Red Bull Leipzig.'
@RhyssCFC predicted: 'Timo Werner is the next Marko Marin.
@ComradeGNev tweeted: 'Timo Werner has set Germany back 80 years.'
@CFCAllyRhodes angrily put: 'I'm done with Timo Werner, pack your bags because it's time to go.'
Merson in the end was right, Werner made no 'difference' to Chelsea in this fixture on Saturday and his withdrawal in the 64th minute, to very little applause and much more silence than normal, suggests that time may be running out on his Blues career. The Bees indeed hit four past their west London neighbours in a result that brought back West Brom memories from last season.
