Kai Havertz’s form at Chelsea: young signing struggling to impress so far | Football news

Kai Havertz is too good at soccer not to be good. Too many expert judges consider it the next big thing in soccer. Too many wise old men who brought greatness to this young German even before he became one of the best players in the Bundesliga.

There are no questions about his attitude, only the circumstances of his first months in England. The Covid-19 fight that has hampered his adaptation to life in a new country amid an unusually demanding schedule. The search continues for his best role at Chelsea as he grapples with the pressure of a £ 62 million move, the first transfer of his professional career.

These are all legitimate reasons why Havertz needs time. But it doesn’t solve the problems Frank Lampard faces as he sets out to pick his next team after back-to-back losses.

Havertz had another disappointing performance as Chelsea followed up their 1-0 weekend loss to Everton with a 2-1 setback against Wolves in Molineux. The 17-game undefeated streak has been felt a long time ago. Title hopes have been deflated in just a few days.

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He was no longer on the field when Pedro Neto’s winner came in, substituted once again, just as he had in each of his four previous Premier League starts. It was an easy decision this time, minutes after the Wolves draw with the tide beginning to turn.

Havertz’s final contribution was to let himself be wowed by the seemingly more confident Daniel Podence, his shoulders slumped as it happened. It was a trivial moment in the match, actually, but it only added to the feeling that other players are having fun right now.

In the first half, Kurt Zouma and Timo Werner had two shots each. The opportunities were created by Ben Chilwell, Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Olivier Giroud, and even N’Golo Kante.

When Reece James fired a shot in the first minute of the second half, it meant that only goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, center-back Thiago Silva and Havertz had not been directly involved in a Chelsea opportunity. The man who replaced him, Mateo Kovacic quickly fired two shots within 12 minutes of his inning. It just lacked the same dynamism.

After finding himself in the top three at Everton, Havertz again played a deeper role Tuesday night, in what many believe to be his favorite position to the right of a three in midfield.

But it’s not immediately obvious what he’s bringing to the team there. His work was orderly enough, but there was little indication of a final product in the last third and he was playing too far down the field to really help support Kante in controlling the counterattacks.

Kante and Mount were among seven Chelsea players to make a tackle. He was not there. Nor was he among the seven who made an interception. Kovacic achieved both in his cameo.

Importantly, it’s not that Havertz isn’t working, despite his languid gait. That light-hearted style may appeal to critics and fans alike, but the truth is that he covered more ground than any other player on the pitch during the first half at Molineux. That’s enough to suggest that it’s more about form than fitness, efficiency than effort.

He is a player who is still working in his place on this team.

Lampard seems aware of this. “Some of them are young players coming to play in this league for the first time and that clearly takes a little time,” he said recently.

He seems willing to rely on talent, which is understandable given the considerable investment, and despite having changed a bit, Havertz may have few complaints about it.

He started the first seven Premier League games of the season, as well as each of the first two Champions League games. The coronavirus kept him out of the starting lineup for all of November and, having backtracked, he has now started each of the last five games.

It’s clear that the plan so far has been to get Havertz in shape.

It is equally clear that it is not working.

So what’s next?

Chelsea fans know better than most that not every major transfer is a success. This is a club that has been caught in the past by paying big bucks for superstar names only to find that they had just reached the point of a dramatic drop in form.

This is different. Havertz is 21 but has more than potential. It is an investment that will likely pay off in the long run. The challenge for Lampard is how to better handle it now.

Havertz will be necessary given the hectic schedule, but he may be a rotation option for the foreseeable future. He and Mount had been used together in a midfield three in wins over Burnley and Leeds, but it left Chelsea looking a bit vulnerable this time.

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For the London derbies against West Ham and Arsenal, as well as Aston Villa’s visit during the festive period, it may be that the return of the double pivot in midfield makes more sense to help stop the counterattack. Chelsea will need to be just as strong when they don’t have the ball in their next home game against Manchester City. It will be a time of testing.

Lampard needs to play those games well if he wants to take advantage of what appears to be an open Premier League. Balancing the long term and the short term will be crucial.

What that means for the young German remains to be seen.

Speaking to Tayfun Korkut, Havertz’s former coach at Bayer Leverkusen, he made an interesting point about the mentality that he believes sets the player apart from the rest.

“I don’t know what he feels inside but he doesn’t show it and that’s an important quality in a great player if you want to be one of the best,” Korkut said. Sky sports.

“If you see him playing he’s never going to show emotions. You can’t see he’s under pressure. I don’t know if it translates correctly into English but he’s always like an ice man. It doesn’t matter. He was 17 years old and I could put him in games more important.

“This is possibly the most special thing about him, his mental power.

“He has incredible mental power.”

You will need that mental strength to overcome what is perhaps the biggest test of your career thus far, as you face questions about your role on a team that is expected to deliver trophies.

Kai Havertz is too good at soccer not to be good. But, for Frank Lampard and Chelsea, the vision of Kai Havertz turning out well cannot come soon enough.