"He has to work on his playing style" - Michael Ballack talks about Timo Werner's struggles at Chelsea

Chelsea legend Michael Ballack has shared his thoughts about his compatriot Timo Werner's stint at Chelsea so far. The German striker has not found the back of the net for the Blues for 3 months, and has lost his starting spot in the side as well.

Werner joined Chelsea in the summer from RB Leipzig for a fee of £47.5 million, but has failed to live up to his pricetag. The striker has managed only 7 goals in 27 games across all competitions this season and has been a huge disappointment so far.

Michael Ballack had his say on Werner's struggles and believes that the striker might have to tweak his game a little bit to adapt to the Premier League. He told The World Game:

"Timo started off pretty well. Of course, if you aren't scoring as a striker, then it is hard on the self-confidence. I believe that it is very hard for him overall, as he was used to playing differently at Leipzig. He had a lot more space in front of him. Chelsea is the kind of team that has a lot of ball possession, wanting to dominate the opponent. Maybe even more so with [Thomas] Tuchel."

He continued:

"Maybe he has to work on his playing style a little bit or try to get himself into better positions. As a striker you are depending on your fellow players to find you and if the [goal drought] breaks, then he will be able to find his old form. He used to have good phases with the national team, using his physical presence and power to break down on the wing. So when the [drought] breaks, then things will go better again."

'The weight is on his shoulders': Tuchel urges Timo Werner to stop doubting himself. By @JacobSteinberg https://t.co/p6gwDGV5I0

— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) January 30, 2021

Chelsea travel to Sheffield United tonight, with a win taking them to 5th in the Premier League table. They have gotten off to an impressive start under new boss Thomas Tuchel, and will hope that their form continues tonight.

Ballack believes that Chelsea can build around Kai Havertz

Kai Havertz has been a disappointment at Chelsea so far

The former Chelsea midfielder seems to have huge faith in Kai Havertz, who has also struggled since joining from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer. Ballack told The World Game:

"It is important for Chelsea to understand that if you buy a player with that kind of potential, then you have to give him time, bit by bit. So he can be in that role and that the team can be built around him. At the moment there are too many players that fight for many positions. There are only a few players that are so to speak 'untouchable'. Therefore he now faces a normal competitive scenario."

He continued:

"It just depends on him, if he is able to win it. He needs that will, but if he sees it and takes on the fight then he will be able to get that spot as he has exceptional football qualities. However it is a different level than at Leverkusen. Therefore he has to live with it."

If Thomas Tuchel can unlock the potential of Havertz, Chelsea will be a force to reckon with in the Premier League.

Thomas Tuchel 💙 Kai Havertz:🗣 “His potential is endless. It has been a challenge for him and I think he made a brave choice [coming to Chelsea].“What I feel from him is that he is a very intelligent, friendly and open guy who has a lot of potential - and we will push him." pic.twitter.com/EgmVUHrWdq

— Goal (@goal) January 31, 2021