Timo Werner: what's going on buddy?

Eight goals and six assists in 22 appearances. Hardly a terrible return, even for a player who yielded small change from £50m.

But the stats don't tell the full story of what has been a frustrating start to life in England for Timo Werner.

Arriving after a blockbusting season for RB Leipzig, the German marksman was supposed to be a cut above Frank Lampard's current striking options.

91 goals in 222 Bundesliga appearances painted the picture of a fearsome talent who would change the dynamic of the Stamford Bridge attack. Liverpool's reluctance to trigger his release clause was Chelsea's gain; this was the defining signing of the Lampard era.

Just a few months on, however, he can't seem to get a kick of the ball in his preferred position. With the turn of the year on the immediate horizon, he hasn't hit the back of the net since his strike against Sheffield United in early November - that's despite him starting every league game since.

It's easy to point the finger at his manager, whose tactical decisions bear some of the responsibility. It's clear for anyone to see that Werner is not enjoying the role he is being asked to play. He's not a natural winger, and would much rather be on the shoulder of central defenders, utilising his predatory instincts and leading the press with his tireless work-rate.

To pin all of the blame on his manager, however, is a cheap cop-out.

His position doesn't explain the lack of intensity to his play that saw him hooked at half-time in Chelsea's dreary defeat to Arsenal. It doesn't fully explain his desperate lack of confidence - he looks a pale, timid shadow of the relentless goalscoring machine who fuelled a Bundesliga title challenge for the majority of last season.

A few times at the Emirates he came in from the left wing to find himself in decent positions, but didn't even seem interested in shooting. It summed up his season so far when, having just attempted to fob the ball off on Mason Mount, his misdirected pass deflected back into his own path, and he scuffed an effort comfortably wide, before sulking away with his head down.

Even when he does things right, it seems as if he does them wrong. He registered an 'assist' for Tammy Abraham in the 3-0 victory over West Ham, yet good fortune merely disguised a feeble attempt at goal that rolled into the path of the striker.

Playing out wide might limit his chances to score, but finding chances to score isn't Werner's problem. He couldn't hit a barn door with a baseball bat at present, to the point it would actually be bad management to play him through the middle. Especially while Abraham is proving himself to be a consistent, able target man, and Olivier Giroud is doing nothing to hurt his own prospects despite his limited opportunities this season.

If Werner sees himself as Chelsea's best striker, then he may first have to feed off the scraps to play his way into that position.

It's fast becoming Chelsea's answer to the timeless chicken or the egg debate. Is Lampard to blame for shunting Werner out of position? Or is Werner's lack of self-belief the cause, rather than the consequence?

Precious few know the answer but only Werner has the power to directly change the narrative. His side, steadily stumbling down the Premier League table, could do with him realising that at some point soon.

Eight goals in 22 games? It's not the worst start on paper. What's frustrating for the Blues, however, is that it could, and should, be so much better.