Kai Havertz needs time and patience to overcome this tough spell, claims Frank Lampard
In light of Kai Havertz struggling for form, Frank Lampard believes that the German youngster needs time and patience if he is to overcome this torrid run of form. The former Bayer Leverkusen midfielder signed for the Blues over the summer but has contributed to only eleven goals since.
Few players that Chelsea signed this summer walked in with the kind of hype that Kai Havertz had surrounding them, especially after his performances in the Bundesliga. The 21-year-old thrived in the German top flight with him netting 36 goals in 118 appearances while also contributing to 25 assists before he left for Chelsea. That includes two double-figure hauls in the German top flight with 12 league goals in his final season alongside six assists.
However, that form or goal-scoring touch hasn’t yet been showcased for Chelsea with just one league goal, although he has netted in the FA Cup and EFL Cup. But Havertz’s recent performances have come under immense criticism, including his performance against Leicester City, and it saw Frank Lampard admit that the youngster needs time to find his best form. The Chelsea boss further added that Havertz, like most of the Blues’ squad, is going through a tough spell and needs a “little bit of wiggle room” to find his way out.
"I can officially say from working with Kai that desire is absolutely not part of the issue. Is he as confident right now, at this minute, as he can be or will be? No, because he is having a tough moment, as are other members of the squad. Kevin De Bruyne and Mo Salah are players who were here at a similar age to Kai," Lampard said, reported Goal.
“They went away and took time and came back, and now they are absolute Premier League legends. I don’t want to build Kai up and put that pressure on his shoulders, but there clearly has to be a time with young players who come to this league, where people have to give them time, patience and sometimes a little bit of wriggle room.”
The £70 million signing hasn’t exactly hit the ground running but he hasn’t been the only one although the criticism has hit Havertz hard. It has seen many complain about the German’s lack of desire on the field, his body language and other issues but Lampard refuted those claims. The Blues’ boss instead admitted that Havertz’s desire, work-ethic and “the ground he covers” are all up there with the best. He further added that now the time is for the 21-year-old to get his full-support as Havertz navigates a tough spell.
"It’s not that everything will just happen in a few months or in one performance. He has a style that maybe when things aren’t coming off, people want to jump on. I’ve seen players like that over the years, some amazingly talented players. But, let me tell you, his desire, the ground he covers in games is big, the data and the stats are big, and he needs time because we’ve seen this story so many times with players.
"I know him well, he’s a good lad and my job is to coach him like I coach the young players that came through last year in this team and made real names for themselves, to keep improving him. And now is the time to give him confidence and show my support for him and he’s got my absolute support,” he added.