Is it time to swap Chelsea's £97.5 million investment for their £47.5 million German? There are not many points to defend for either player, but one thing is for sure; Thomas Tuchel has a difficult job on his hands.
Romelu Lukaku has started in every single Chelsea game since the 1st of January. The last 10 matches have placed the Belgian in the eye of the media for scrutiny, and the verdict is not so positive. You can blame the system, blame the players around him or you can blame the manager for not starting his second option.
It sounds crazy, but it’s time to unleash turbo Timo Werner and try something new.
Chelsea played Crystal Palace in their first Premier League match in a month. Though the Blues stole the three points at Selhurst Park, the performance told a different story. It was evident that the boys were still easing themselves back into intense football, following their week break after the Club World Cup final. However, there is no excuse for the lack of attacking threat from Romelu Lukaku.
The general consensus around the Chelsea fan base is that Lukaku is not even trying. He appears to be hiding from the limelight, not being in positions where he can receive the ball. Thank goodness that the wizard Hakim Ziyech was able to bail out the Blues in a must-win match.
Normally I’d defend Lukaku and call for changes within those around him, but after registering just 7 touches in the entire 90 minutes that he played, I have no more excuses.
According to Opta Joe, Lukaku had just two touches in the first half - one of those being from kick-off. This is recorded as the fewest in a single Premier League game for a player with 90+ minutes since this type of data became available in 2003. It started off as just a joke that Lukaku hides from the ball. Over the weekend, the joke looked to actually reflect reality.
As a match-goer, it is clear that the Belgian wants to make runs. He often points in the direction for where he wants the ball to go but it is often met without a pass. We cannot blame him solely for the lack of touches, right? Thomas Tuchel doesn’t put blame on the system either. When asked about Lukaku’s performance in his post-match conference, he said:
"I’m not so sure if I have a good answer for your question, I don’t know. Obviously he was not involved and could not make a point today. I’m not sure if it says so much about us in general."
Werner should be allowed the same amount of time that has been given to Lukaku. The frustrations are building within the fan base, maybe it’s best to allow Lukaku to sit back and avoid the ever-growing backlash.
One thing about Timo Werner is that he will give his 100%. Whether he is missing chances or whether he is caught out offside, the fans love him for being practical. His efforts are truly missed and he has faced what Lukaku has previously.
With consistent scrutiny, questions around his future, however, he would never give up. There are many times where I’ve watched Timo Werner request for the ball from his players and he is met with silence. But, it was never this bad.
The difference is, Werner was able to drop, create space, make important runs, and position himself in spaces where it would be impossible not to make the pass. I don’t really see that from Lukaku nowadays.
At the start of the season, I saw glimpses and he seemed extremely promising, but the £97 million price tag has become redundant.
A reset is needed. Ever since he was dropped for the game against Liverpool following the famous Sky Italia interview, he has been worked to the bone. The answer is there for Tuchel, unfortunately, I am not sure when he will take the chance. The fans want to see it happen, I want to see it happen. Just let Timo Werner play.
Kai Havertz and Timo Werner were the duo that worked at the end of last season, surely we can replicate their chemistry at a time when we need them most.
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