‘I have my own vision – it’ll become very clear why he’s here’: Frank Lampard launches impassioned defence of £89m man Kai Havertz after Jamie Carragher said he is unsure where fits in at Chelsea so far
- Kai Havertz was forgettable in Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat by Liverpool on Sunday
- The German was taken off at half-time after the Blues went down to 10 men
- Carragher questioned on Sky Sports whether he could fit into Chelsea’s system
- Lampard insists his role in the side will become clear when he reaches full fitness
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard insists he knows Kai Havertz’s best position and his role in the side will become clear when he reaches full fitness.
Havertz played wide on the right on his debut against Brighton and was then used centrally in the 2-0 defeat against Liverpool before being hauled off at half-time as Lampard brought on a defender following Andreas Christensen’s red card.
Jamie Carragher questioned whether the £89million summer signing fits into Chelsea‘s system after his low-key displays.
Kai Havertz had another quiet game in a Chelsea shirt during the Blues’ 2-0 defeat to Liverpool
But Lampard has no doubts about the 21-year-old.
He told a press conference on Tuesday: ‘Kai has played various positions in career, as number nine, number eight and a number 10.
‘He played lots off the right for Leverkusen and I have my own vision going forward.
‘The key now is getting him fit.
‘Kai, with the situation we are in we aren’t in a position where we can wait. We need to get him fit, and it’ll become very clear why he’s here.’
The 21-year-old was taken off at half-time after Chelsea were reduced to 10 men in the first-half
The 21-year-old played 45 minutes of the Blues’ 2-0 home defeat by Liverpool on Sunday before being hauled off at half-time as Frank Lampard brought on a defender following Andreas Christensen’s red card.
Havertz was also quiet on his Chelsea debut against Brighton on Monday and Carragher is struggling to see where the young German will play this season.
The ex-Liverpool defender told Sky Sports: ‘I do look and think, ‘where does Havertz play? Where does he fit into a 4-3-3?’
Jamie Carragher (above) questioned whether Havertz can fit into Frank Lampard’s system
‘He almost looks like a No 10 and we don’t see them as much in football now. Where he played today, I don’t think that suited Chelsea.’
Havertz has played on the right wing in both of his Premier League matches as a Chelsea player even though he earned his Premier League move after impressing through the middle in Germany.
He scored 38 goals in his final 87 matches for Leverkusen and mainly played as either a centre-forward or an attacking midfielder, also known as ‘No 10’.
Jamie Redknapp believes that Havertz is more of an attacking midfielder and sees his Chelsea future in that position, though claimed fans need to be patient if they want to see the best of the German international at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard (above) insists he knows Kai Havertz’s best position
The Sky Sports pundit claimed: ‘You’ve got to give Havertz time. We have to be careful. We’re judging a player. You’ve got (Christian) Pulisic and (Hakim) Ziyech to come in (as well).
‘I think Havertz is a No 10. With the three they played in midfield today, you need a bit more craft.
‘Are we sitting here and questioning Havertz, he’s been here two minutes?’
Fellow pundit Ashley Cole, a former Chelsea defender who now works for the west London club in the youth set-up, added that one of Mateo Kovacic or Jorginho will have to be scrapped if Havertz does make the transition to attacking midfield.
‘New players coming in, it’s a process. The new players will have time to gel. Kai Havertz trained four or five days.
‘If you want to shift Havertz in a No 10 position, then somebody’s got to go. Perhaps Jorginho or Kovacic.’