Thomas Tuchel believes if Timo Werner took penalties there would be ‘a very different discussion’ about the Germany forward’s first season at Chelsea.
Werner has mustered 12 goals in all competitions for the Blues in his maiden campaign in English football, but has found the net just four times in his last 42 appearances for club and country.
The £53million recruit continues to threaten defences with his pace and movement, but endured another frustrating night with two goals disallowed when Chelsea beat Leicester 2-1 on Tuesday.
Stamford Bridge boss Tuchel has moved to defend Werner’s contribution however, insisting the 25-year-old could have had 10 extra goals had he been on penalty duty.
Werner rifled a penalty in the 4-0 Champions League win in Krasnodar in October, but also missed from the spot in the 3-1 FA Cup win over Luton in January.
‘Don’t forget how many goalscorers in Europe shoot penalties for their team and it’s common that they reach their high numbers with penalties,’ said Tuchel.
‘If we add the penalties we’ve had to his numbers, maybe everybody would be delighted with his first year.
‘He hasn’t scored penalties, he doesn’t take them. We should consider that.
‘If we let Timo take all the penalties he could have had another 10 goals.
‘And then we’d be having a very different discussion with the exact same performance.
‘A lot of top scorers in Europe use penalties to improve their numbers. That’s not Timo.’
Chelsea’s fans were back at Stamford Bridge for the first time in more than a year in that vital Premier League win over Leicester.
The Blues faithful made a clear point of voicing their support for Werner, with a string of chants for the Germany striker.
Tuchel believes that backing will hand Werner a big confidence boost, ahead of two crucial clashes to close the season.
Chelsea can secure qualification for next term’s Champions League with a win at Aston Villa to close the Premier League campaign on Sunday.
And then the Blues will face Manchester City in the final of this season’s Champions League, in Porto on Saturday, May 29.
‘I am happy that the spectators are back because they will see the effort instantly,’ said Tuchel.
‘It’s much easier to be a critic and judge a player when you’re not in the stadium.
‘Once you are there, close to the guys and see the effort they put into matches, it’s a bit more relative.
‘I even talked about it with the board in one of the very first talks with me, that I have a feeling that it’s still a young team and a team that needs some boosts from outside.
‘Looking at the characteristics from the players from outside, there are so many of them, that the board should not forget the influence of missing the supporters, not having the supporters.
‘Sometimes supporters can help them over difficult moments, and in between matches it can have a huge impact, even more impact than to a very experienced player.
‘But it goes in all directions, it can also increase the amount of pressure suddenly you feel if you hear the crowd moaning, the crowd not liking your actions. So it works in both directions.
‘But in general my approach is that we should do everything to get our fans off the seats, to let them feel the energy and intensity we give to matches, and let them feel our passion about the game.
‘And then they will feel their passion instantly.
‘And they will feel happy to support us, even if not everything is perfect.
‘I strongly believe that fans don’t go to the stadium only for the perfect game or the perfect result. They go to games for the energy and the special moments, and to really support when they can feel it, that a team is really about football, intensity and love of the game.
‘And this is it, this is what we want to do, and this is what the young guys can for sure do very, very well.
‘And from there we hope for support, and for improvement of their self-confidence.’
