Former Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer believes Chelsea striker Timo Werner should put his name forward to become the club's designated penalty-taker in an attempt to get himself back amongst the goals.
The Germany international, who joined the Blues in a big-money deal from German giants RB Leipzig back in June, has struggled for form of late, currently finding himself on a run of 11 games without a goal in all competitions.
Considering Werner was on a run of five goals in four games prior to this barren spell, it is a worrying factor for Blues chief Frank Lampard, who has watched his side win just one of their last five matches.
However, in an attempt to bring his poor run of form to an end, Shearer, who made a career for himself by cementing himself as the Premier League's deadliest marksman of all-time, believes Werner, who was left out of the starting line-up when Chelsea locked horns with Aston Villa on Monday teatime, should jump at the chance to take on the responsibility of being the club's new penalty-taker, despite Italian midfielder Jorginho's usual reliability from 12 yards.
Penning his column for The Athletic, Shearer wrote: "He can’t knock on the manager’s door and say he should be starting matches, because when you look at the chances he’s missing, he doesn’t deserve to.
"History suggests it’s not going to last and it can’t do, both for his sake and Frank Lampard’s sake. It has to change.
"If I was Werner, I would be straining for the ball every time Chelsea are awarded a penalty.
"It’s such a great opportunity to get up and running again. You’d be amazed what it does to you, that feeling of seeing the ball hit the net.
"You grow two feet taller instantly.
"On the training pitch, I’d be doubling down on work. I would get someone to knock balls into me from little angles, just behind the goal.
"I’d stand five or six yards out and just roll shots into an empty net. Maybe that sounds simplistic, but I’d do it time and time again, just to build my confidence up. Then I’d bring in a keeper - a first-teamer wouldn’t do it, so I’d rope in someone from the youth team - and do the same thing.
"It’s about repetition, repetition, repetition. 'Practice makes permanent,' as Sir Bobby Robson, my old manager at Newcastle United, used to say.
"The next time the ball comes to you in a match, that repetition kicks in."
Since joining Chelsea during the summer, Werner has stepped up to take three penalties, all of which he has successfully dispatched. He scored one against FC Krasnodar in a 4-0 win away from home before netting a brace of them in the 3-0 win over Rennes in early-November.
In total, Werner has scored eight times for the Blues in all competitions this season, as well as claiming six assists.
