Kevin Kuranyi wished for Timo Werner to hit the ground running in his second campaign for Chelsea.
In an interview with Sky Sports, Kuranyi assessed what went wrong for Werner during his debut term for the Blues.
The pressure was on from the moment he stepped inside Stamford Bridge.
His farewell RB Leipzig tour ended with 34 goals and 13 assists in 45 games.
Add to that his £45m (Sky Sports) price tag and the expectation was heavy upon the German’s shoulders.
For one reason or another, things didn’t quite click for Werner in a Chelsea shirt.
Changing country, during a pandemic, to combat the world’s toughest league certainly didn’t help.
However, the 25-year-old still managed 12 goals and 15 assists for the Blues.
Kuranyi crying out for top Timo
Kuranyi, who scored 144 times for Schalke and Stuttgart during his career, longed for his compatriot to come good before too long.
He said: “To play in England is very difficult. It’s different how he played in Red Bull (Leipzig). He played in another position.
“He had many chances to make goal. He’s a goal getter who needs the ball in the box, who needs the ball with speed.
“In England, sometimes you have to keep the ball and to play a different tactic.
“I hope soon he will make more goals for Chelsea and also get regain his confidence to make goals for Germany too.”
Playing in a different position has also clearly hindered Werner’s game.
For Leipzig, he was the main man up front, their focal point.
At Chelsea, he changed roles like the wind.
Sometimes he was a striker, sometimes he played off the left, sometimes he was a second attacker.
Consistency in Werner’s performance only really began after Thomas Tuchel took over in January.
With a full season together, hopefully the Blues boss can fully unlock his centre-forward’s prime powers once again.
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