Former Arsenal and Manchester United player Robin van Persie has criticised Thomas Tuchel’s use of Hakim Ziyech and says he deserves a ‘much bigger role’ at Chelsea.
Ziyech’s game time has been limited, starting just seven games in the Premier League and Champions League since Tuchel’s appointment and not completing the full 90 minutes in any game.
But, He has shown flashes of his quality, notably the winning goal against Manchester City in Chelsea’s 1-0 FA Cup semi-final win last month.
The former Ajax star was one of the Eredivisie’s best players before moving to Stamford Bridge – and Van Persie is surprised that he, and some of his teammates, have not been given more prominent roles under Tuchel.
‘It is actually a shame that the creativity of players like Ziyech, [Christian] Pulisic and [Mateo] Kovacic – who I think is a brilliant player – is not being expressed,’ Van Persie wrote in his column for De Telegraaf.
‘Kovacic is their engine and playmaker. Ziyech also has those qualities higher up the pitch, but he should have a much bigger role in the team.
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‘He is now constantly searching [for a place in the team], being played in all different positions. But surely it can’t be that difficult to give such a creative player a good position, right?
‘You can also see it differently, first give Ziyech and Kovacic an important role and then let players like Kante and other types work around them.’
Another Dutch legend, Marco van Basten, has also criticised Ziyech’s role and lack of consistent minutes at the club, even telling the winger to leave.
‘Werner plays really badly, but doesn’t he come in much more often? The system this trainer plays is just not good for Ziyech,’ he said.
‘Then as Ziyech you have to say: “You know what? I have to leave.”
‘It is now about Ziyech because I have nothing to do with that man. This is not getting along like that. I’m not saying it’s bad for Ziyech or bad for that trainer, but it doesn’t work like that.’
