Been said before, but please start playing this guy through the middle.  Giroud's goals are superb, but I thought Werner was bought to ultimately lead the line.  

Congrats to Chelsea though - playing him out of position (and Werner missing some sitters) has now resulted in his longest streak without a goal since 2016.  Why do we overcomplicate things with strikers time and time again.

28 minutes ago, PhilH930 said:

Been said before, but please start playing this guy through the middle.  Giroud's goals are superb, but I thought Werner was bought to ultimately lead the line.  

Congrats to Chelsea though - playing him out of position (and Werner missing some sitters) has now resulted in his longest streak without a goal since 2016.  Why do we overcomplicate things with strikers time and time again.

Maybe cool it? He scored stacks from the same spot last year. It might just be that England is a tougher league where chances are harder to come by. He'll continue to improve. 

You might have also noticed that we had zero wingers in the squad last night and so had to adapt.  

4 hours ago, turnyitb said:

Either has to be given a start up front or dropped to the bench.

His confidence is shot atm and seems to always be on the back foot. 

When we have no wingers we only have Timo who can do a job there, arguably Mount too but not as good. But you're right the more we play him out of position, the more confidence he seems to be losing, we're really damned either way.

1 hour ago, Spiller86 said:

Maybe cool it? He scored stacks from the same spot last year. It might just be that England is a tougher league where chances are harder to come by. He'll continue to improve. 

You might have also noticed that we had zero wingers in the squad last night and so had to adapt.  

Why would we bring in Werner to play on the wings when Ziyech and Pulisic are better wingers than him? 

Edited December 13, 20205 yr by Slojo

2 hours ago, Spiller86 said:

Maybe cool it? He scored stacks from the same spot last year. It might just be that England is a tougher league where chances are harder to come by. He'll continue to improve. 

You might have also noticed that we had zero wingers in the squad last night and so had to adapt.  

I hear you, but even with wingers available he continues to play out wide.  Needs must, but my preference would be to consistently play Werner thru the middle as often as possible.  That is all.

7 hours ago, Slojo said:

Why would we bring in Werner to play on the wings when Ziyech and Pulisic are better wingers than him? 

He was signed for his versatility, Lampard wasn't going to completely f**k off Tammy after a solid first season.

When Pulisic and Ziyech are fully fit he will play up top but I don't see the issue that everyone else is seeing with him in LF. His tactical play has been fine the issues with him of late has been finishing, which would still be the same even through the middle.

3 hours ago, Argo said:

He was signed for his versatility, Lampard wasn't going to completely f**k off Tammy after a solid first season.

When Pulisic and Ziyech are fully fit he will play up top but I don't see the issue that everyone else is seeing with him in LF. His tactical play has been fine the issues with him of late has been finishing, which would still be the same even through the middle.

Tbf, I think he was to an extent. I think after last season, the latter half, he knew Tammy wasn't going to be reliable for a team that wants to challenge for titles. As good as Tammy was, don't get me wrong, he was good, Lamps knew he couldn't solely rely just on him. So he brought in Werner to help out and rotate with, two different kinds of strikers, it makes sense to me. 

True Werner can rotate, but I don't think he was brought in to stay at LW, he first started as a striker here, he got moved due to injuries and it's been that way since because this team can't stop picking up injuries, particularly on the wings. 

Him playing on the wings, it has to stop.

No goals in his last 8 games. He's been brutal recently.

Can't finish, can't control and can't pass most of the time.

It feels like him being played on the wing has made him worse and the team by extension. He doesn’t have the freedom he gets compared to playing him in the middle. He also isn’t the best passer of the ball so the teams creativity is stifled on his side of the wing. Frank needs to switch things up quick.

He looked good maybe in the first 1 or 2 matches on the wing but ultimately he averages maybe 1 chance all match there. The standards keep dropping when we have wingers injured so we might have to go back to having Mount play there again.

I think Lampard intentions is that he's to be more of an inside forward when he's start from the left.

Giving him a run as the striker is surely worth a shot at this point. But he's not exactly the typical lone striker in the PL is he. His touch is Lukaku-esque and he's not particularly strong or a good passer either. Certainly a big risk of him being bullied physically if he's put in the middle in my book.

1 minute ago, Sindre said:

I think Lampard intentions is that he's to be more of an inside forward when he's start from the left.

Giving him a run as the striker is surely worth a shot at this point. But he's not exactly the typical lone striker in the PL is he. His touch is Lukaku-esque and he's not particularly strong or a good passer either. Certainly a big risk of him being bullied physically if he's put in the middle in my book.

Vardy does just fine and hes no better on the ball than Werner.

Can't really blame the guy.He looked amazing until like a month ago.This guy even played on the wing for Tammy to play in the n9 role.I mean come on lol That would f**k me up as well

Edited December 15, 20205 yr by mm24

Just now, jack_super_class said:

Vardy does just fine and hes no better on the ball than Werner.

Much better finisher though. And teams don't park the bus that often when they face Leicester.

Just now, jack_super_class said:

Vardy does just fine and hes no better on the ball than Werner.

Vardy is a good example, you wouldn’t play him out wide which makes it mind boggling that Lampard plays Werner out wide.

2 minutes ago, Sindre said:

Much better finisher though. And teams don't park the bus that often when they face Leicester.

They didnt in the title winning season, but in recent seasons Leicester have been shown more respect. Teams dont go there and not close spaces and not play deep.

Edited December 15, 20205 yr by jack_super_class

23 minutes ago, sonic90 said:

He looked good maybe in the first 1 or 2 matches on the wing but ultimately he averages maybe 1 chance all match there. The standards keep dropping when we have wingers injured so we might have to go back to having Mount play there again.

Or Lampard could change formation and tactics until all wingers are fit again. I would rather see that than have Mount anywhere near the wing. Maybe switch to a back 3 and have Chilwell and James providing the width.

                           Mendy

           Azpi          Silva          Zouma

James                                           Chillwell

                   Kante      Mount/Kova/Havertz

                            Pulisic

                      Werner

                               Giroud

 

James and Chilwell offer the width. Pulisic and Werner can move around the pitch and provide back up for James and Chilwell and Werner moves into a central position to play off Giroud.

Edited December 15, 20205 yr by Scott Harris

7 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

Or Lampard could change formation and tactics until all wingers are fit again. I would rather see that than have Mount anywhere near the wing. Maybe switch to a back 3 and have Chilwell and James providing the width.

                           Mendy

           Azpi          Silva          Zouma

James                                           Chillwell

                   Kante      Mount/Kova/Havertz

                            Pulisic

                      Werner

                               Giroud

 

James and Chilwell offer the width. Pulisic and Werner can move around the pitch and provide back up for James and Chilwell and Werner moves into a central position to play off Giroud.

or just play Anjorin on the right next game, Pulisic on the left and Werner up top. May not be Anjorin fav position but he cant be any worse than Werner playing out there.

4 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

Or Lampard could change formation and tactics until all wingers are fit again. I would rather see that than have Mount anywhere near the wing. Maybe switch to a back 3 and have Chilwell and James providing the width.

                           Mendy

           Azpi          Silva          Zouma

James                                           Chillwell

                   Kante      Mount/Kova/Havertz

                            Pulisic

                      Werner

                               Giroud

 

James and Chilwell offer the width. Pulisic and Werner can move around the pitch and provide back up for James and Chilwell and Werner move centrally to play off Giroud.

It makes sense to change formation based on the squad available but I think that's too much of an ask for Lamps, he tends to not change things up until it's bitten us in the arse one too many times. Maybe there's some merit to that in that he isn't the type to tinker too much but hopefully he doesn't let it go on for too long, it's already late to change so he's got to be developing a plan B right now.

I don't really pay attention to any formations that we don't use but on paper it does make sense to have a central focused attack for now. I do remember the little and large 2 striker setup worked well for City for a while.

Problem he has is running in behind a defence is impossible when they’re camped on the edge of their own box like 99% of teams are when playing us and when we’d rather play a simple pass back to the keeper than knock anything over the top for him to get on to. 

His threat has been nullified completely by the current setup, a month ago at least he's starting on the left and drift towards the middle, today he's a right winger trying to whip cross in. It' sheer madness.

Can't believe how average he has looked lately and I can't believe I still have him in my Fantasy football team!! 

42 minutes ago, Munkworth said:

Problem he has is running in behind a defence is impossible when they’re camped on the edge of their own box like 99% of teams are when playing us and when we’d rather play a simple pass back to the keeper than knock anything over the top for him to get on to. 

Wasn’t an issue when Tammy was dropping deep & he was running behind him. 

Werner isnt being used correctly, too wide, too restricted, too much tracking back required.

However he needs to show some fight and determination, he is coming is to his prime, and he should be hungry, I can excuse this sort of performance by Havertz to some extent, he is younger,  and has had covid hit him pretty hard, but Werner needs to start acting like a big player, and show some arrogance and grit.

You pay the big money for the big players, because they turn up against good teams and take responsibility to get the team a result. He has shown it in glimpses, but in this busy period, especially with Ziyech out, and Havertz way off the pace, Werner needs to step up.