Timo Werner has been on end of frustrating time at White Hart Lane with his output, or lack of it in this case, has come time limelight and criticism among fans and pundits alike. The German winger has clearly been struggling to make the best of opportunities presented to him, unlike what he did in his previous spell at N17.
Werner initially joined the Lilywhites in a loan deal from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, and Tottenham head coach decided against using him in his preferred striking role and rather slotted the player on the left flank, with the idea being he could cover up the space using his pace and maintain width to stretch the opponents. His performances earned him shouts for a probable permanent transfer, and while that didn’t happen, Daniel Levy found a way to bring the German international on another loan deal, this time around with an option to buy.
Werner’s arrival was coincided by the Lilywhites signing a striker, and while the former Chelsea man wasn’t playing upfront, the fact that Heung Min Son moved back to his coveted left flank made the minutes hard to come by till the South Korean picked up an injury.
Minutes came with scrutiny as Werner missed some easy chances in front of goal, something the English supporters were used to watching him do from his time at Chelsea.
The problem could be attributed to his confidence and lack of ball-striking abilities. The latter has been a problem for all his career, while the former is changeable.
Can Werner revive his Tottenham career?
Ange Postecoglou is a fantastic manager, and he needs to put his arms around the player and show him that he was not brought solely for goals; his off-the-ball hard work, complemented by his pressing skills, helps Tottenham massively. Werner needs to build himself slowly and take away this notion of pressure when he gets goal-scoring opportunities coming his way. That being said, notching in one will bring a lot of good to him, though.
However, if it continues to be what it is currently, then it could be the end of his spell at Tottenham, and Ange could rather prefer to bring in a primary left-winger who can dribble his way out of situations.
At the moment, it doesn’t look like Timo Werner’s option will be taken up by Tottenham, and if the current inconsistencies continue in front of goal, the club may ponder calling it quits in January.
RELATED NEWS
Alan Shearer thinks Tottenham will beat Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday
Tottenham Hotspur are back in Premier League action on Sunday when they travel across the capital to face Crystal Palace.
The Lilywhites recovered from their 3-2 capitulation to Brighton & Hove Albion with successive wins against West Ham United and AZ Alkmaar after the international break. Ange Postecoglou’s side smashed West Ham 4-1 in the Premier League before edging AZ Alkmaar 1-0 in the Europa League.
Spurs are slowly getting into the groove, and having won seven out of the last eight games in all competitions, they will be heading to Selhurst Park with great belief. Crystal Palace, on the other hand, have struggled this season and are 18th in the Premier League table with just three points from eight games.
Keeping that in mind, former Premier League winner Alan Shearer has dropped his prediction of the game. He feels Tottenham have enough quality to secure all three points in the mouthwatering all-London affair.
“It feels like any game is a big ask for Crystal Palace with the form that they’re in at the moment,” Shearer previewed the game for the Metro.
“They can’t seem to score, the manager is under pressure, and it certainly hasn’t gone as anyone would’ve liked or hoped.
“Tottenham are strong in forward positions, scoring another four last weekend and I think they’ll have enough for Crystal Palace and take the three points at Selhurst Park.”
Oliver Glasner, who impressed at Crystal Palace last season by steering them to a strong finish, has been let down by the board for not replacing key players like Michael Olise and Joachim Andersen in the summer. It is not all doom and gloom for the Eagles as we are only eight games into the new season but Glasner is definitely feeling the pressure from certain sections of fans and media.
As for Spurs, Big Ange and Co. have to give their best on the pitch on Sunday. We cannot afford to be complacent when facing Palace, even though they have been toothless going forward. It is a London derby and form goes out of the window. Plus, Selhurst Park faithful will be right up there with their support, trying to create a difficult atmosphere for the Tottenham players.
Having said that, Big Ange’s side have to take control of the game quickly and try scoring early. Even without our skipper Son Heung-min’s likely absence, we have enough quality in the squad to smash the out-of-sorts Eagles and bag the points.
