Werner acted a bit too close to the goal instead of starting in… There we have to train on the runs again. Primarily, it’s a matter of positioning inside the 18.” Flick said.
Chelsea striker Timo Werner has credited Hansi Flick for giving him the “trust” he needs to flourish while on international duty with Germany.
According to a report from Bild (as captured by Twitter account @iMiaSanMia), Flick and Werner spoke at-length about how the 25-year-old can be more efficient with his runs, while also ensuring he is putting himself in more effective positions on the pitch.
Werner, 25, endured a miserable debut season at Stamford Bridge in the 2020/21 campaign, only scoring six goals in 35 Premier League appearances after completing a £54million move from RB Leipzig.
Timo Werner has netted five goals for Germany in five games since Hansi Flick took the reigns of Die Mannschaft, replacing Joachim Low after their EURO 2020 exit at the hands of England in the last 16.
HAMBURG, GERMANY – OCTOBER 10: Head coach Hansi Flick talks to Timo Werner during a training session at Millerntor Stadium on October 10, 2021 in Hamburg, Germany. (Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images)
Speaking after Germany’s 2022 World Cup Qualifying encounter with Romania on Friday, Flick took fire at Chelsea’s number 11.
“[Werner] is quite capable of opening up spaces where it is tight and converting rebounds,”
It looked like he [Werner] didn’t always have the proper positioning,” Flick acknowledged after the match.
“One had the feeling that he was keeping a bit too level with whoever had the ball on the outside, whether it was Serge or Gnabry. If a ball came out of the back, he didn’t have a chance.”
“He acted a bit too close to the goal instead of starting in,” Flick continued.
“He can do better and we will also expect that from him.
There we have to train on the runs again. Primarily, it’s a matter of positioning inside the 18.”
Timo Werner repaid his manager’s faith by scoring two goals in an emphatic 4-0 win over North Macedonia on Monday night as the Germans became the first European side to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Germany’s forward Timo Werner (R) celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal with Germany’s forward Thomas Mueller during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualification Group J football match between North Macedonia and Germany at the Toshe Proeski National Arena in Skopje on October 11, 2021. (Photo by Nikolay DOYCHINOV / AFP) (Photo by NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP via Getty Images)
The Blues striker said of his national coach: “He’s very good for me. If a coach likes you and relies on you, it helps every player.
“As a striker, I especially need to be trusted externally. I’m trying to pay it back and I hope that I can keep giving it back.”