It is still hard to know exactly what Kai Havertz is as a player or what he will become at Stamford Bridge.
The German playmaker who arrived to much fanfare in the summer of 2020 has had sporadic moments of great influence scattered across a number of forgettable performances. Wednesday night proved the latter at the Gtech Community Stadium in a 0-0 draw with Brentford.
Havertz benefitted from Potter's frequent rotation, starting behind Armando Broja, with Mason Mount acting as an inside forward from the left in a 3-4-2-1 formation. This display from the 23-year-old was not too dissimilar from the norm we have seen since his £71m switch from Bayer Leverkusen.
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There were fleeting moments of promise that were mainly undermined by a lack of aggression or speed on the ball. In the first half he picked up good positions inside the box, receiving a pass late in the first half by Mount, this was the moment to burst into life, instead, his first touch reflected an uncertainty. Soon enough the chance had gone and another moment passed.
For a player who looked a step ahead of opponents in the Bundesliga, Havertz now looks like one stuck in first gear. You are waiting for the next level, the change of pace, the song to hit its chorus, but it rarely does.
In a position where an increase in tempo is most needed, it is stark how much is lacking in that capacity. It did not help Havertz on Wednesday that both Broja, and second-half substitute Carney Chukwuemeka, provided more inspiration given both are younger and lacking the top-level experience Havertz already has.
Broja, who was making his first start, feels the more unflattering comparison given the change in speed that allowed the Albanian to accelerate past a panicked Ben Mee. Although Broja is raw and showed signs of a player still finding his accuracy, he left a clear imprint, something Havertz has so regularly failed to do. Too many games simply float by.
An explanation for his struggles in west London so far has been related to his use under three Chelsea coaches. Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter have all tried him in different roles.
Lampard originally deployed him as either a 10 in a 4-2-3-1 or the right of a midfield trio in a 4-3-3. It was Tuchel who then moved him closer to the striker, eventually taking the role for the Champions League final: his biggest contribution in a Chelsea shirt so far.
Since then he has mostly played across a front three in some capacity. Potter has more stuck with what Tuchel did. Arguing for him to play “as a 10” feels a little redundant in a system that is clearly going to be pretty pliable under Potter, with players expected to fulfil different roles and spaces against different opponents.
You do have to wonder how a player can survive being limited to one specific use in this environment but also, the comparison to Mount is probably what most shatters the idea that “unlocking” Havertz is only going to take one tweak.
Mount has not been confined to one position at Chelsea, but his brilliance has been a consistent impact despite that. He has rarely played in the left-midfield role at Chelsea which is supposedly his preferred choice but that has not been reflected in his general output and importance to the team.
Havertz is supposed to be an important figure in Chelsea’s system, one who defines games, one whose impact is impossible to miss.
He seems capable of being the one to provide some big goals – the winner at home to West Ham in August comes to mind. But this aspect can not fully wipe away what is for Havertz, the modus operandi. Two goals in the league from nearly 1000 minutes of competitive action are pretty much it so far this term. Without those goals, there have not been great individual displays to hold up, those are isolated moments.
He remains a player whose place in this Chelsea setup seems uncertain, even a change in the dugout has not altered that question, which should be of some concern to the club’s hierarchy.
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