Chelsea forward Timo Werner says the system and tactics used by Thomas Tuchel suit the club’s squad, saying that team’s improved defensive record is ‘really important’.
With Chelsea down in ninth position in the Premier League at the end of January, Frank Lampard was sacked and replaced by former Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain coach Tuchel.
In 13 Premier League matches since the German’s arrival, the blues have conceded eight goals, with five of those coming all at once in a shocking 5-2 defeat against West Brom.
Using a back three formation, the London team have climbed up to fourth in the Premier League, reached the UEFA Champions League semi-finals and FA Cup final.
And Werner, who set up Hakim Ziyech’s winner in last week’s FA Cup semi-final victory over Manchester City, has backed the system and approach used by Tuchel so far at the club.
‘I think he, like everybody can see, changed a lot of players and type of how we play like the manager before,’ Werner told Chelsea’s Mike’d Up series when asked about what has changed under the new management.
‘But at the end I think it’s the new system we play now with three in the back. ‘It changed in part of that we don’t concede goals. I think that’s really important.
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‘In Germany we say, ‘a good offence wins you games, but a good defence wins you titles’. ‘We always win games like 1-0, 2-0, so always with good defensive work. But also he gives us good structure, in front he gives us different systems.
‘Sometimes we play with a ten and two strikers, sometimes we play with one striker and two tens behind, sometimes with three strikers.
‘So it’s very different how we play. I think it fits us very well. ‘It gives us a little bit of rotation in our squad that everybody is happy and everybody can play in their best positions.’