As much as many have called for him to be dropped, Kai Havertz could start against Manchester United. The talk has been about why Arsenal could be better without the German international. While addressing the media in the press conference for the Arsenal versus Manchester United clash, Mikel Arteta was asked how his £65 million summer addition could get to his best.
The Arsenal boss told us fans that he needs Gooners’ help to get the best out of the ex-Blue. According to him, the Gooners showing their love to the 24-year-old could build his confidence and get him to explode, just like other players like Odegaard and Ramsdale, who weren’t instant hits, as he said in the Mirror, “It’s difficult to ask more of our supporters and our people, but my feeling is give him love, and we’ll get the best out of him. I think we have some very beautiful examples in the last years with players that, we have given a lot of support and got behind them, and they have felt that love, and they just exploded.”
Mikel Arteta on fans not being convinced by Havertz after three matches: “More than two months [people weren’t convinced by Ødegaard]. Gabriel Magalhães was the same. White could not play as a full-back. Ramsdale wasn’t good enough & now you sign another goalkeeper, it’s a… pic.twitter.com/uAJO5A8jLt
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) September 1, 2023
Arteta continued: “It’s more than [Martin] Odegaard. And with Gabriel Magalhaes, it was the same. And Ben White could not play as a full-back; Aaron Ramsdale wasn’t good enough for Arsenal; and now we have signed another keeper, and it is a catastrophe!
“Bukayo Saka was a left-back, and now he’s a right-winger. Granit Xhaka, we have so many good examples. But the players have to love what they do, and they do that when they feel supported.”
Anyway, after claiming Havertz will get better with time, he went on to insinuate that he feels Havertz still offers something great to his team, noting what he brings to his team and why we can expect the German to be in the lineup versus United, saying: “His football brain, how he understands when to move, how to move when to stay when to run, it’s phenomenal. We are talking about a player who has already won and done a lot at his age, and he’s played three Premier League games, so… calm.”
Don’t you think that Arteta is absolutely right? Us fans have given up on him after just a few games, but give him a chance to grow into the team and he will surprise us all. If Arteta believes in him, why shouldn’t we?
Arteta is usually right after all….
I don’t doubt that the best approach towards Havertz from the fans would be to show support, but on the flip-side, shouldn’t Arteta be showing love to the players that kept the team ticking over in the worst times, the ones who gave fans a glimmer of hope (ESR, Gabriel, Tierney etc) or even the players who showed their worth in preseason. The best thing for all would be to ease Havertz into the team over time, lessening the pressure on him. Arsenal put even more unnecessary pressure on Kai by paying over the odds and somehow making him the clubs highest earner. In the meantime lets give the players who are ready to shine the chance they’ve earned; ESR, Trossard, Vieira, Jorginho all currently deserve to start more than Kai.
I’m not saying write Havertz off just that we shouldn’t be giving him special treatment or moulding the team for his benefit.
True, Havertz should be shown love unconditionally, regardless of what is expected of him he deserves to be shown love so too does Smith Rowe.
Now that’s a perfect place to start so as the gaffer is about to lead by example let’s join in with our unconditional support.
If he shows loyalty to sub par players, then he is out of touch. If he brutally improves his squad, he is an emotionless tyrant. Damn if he do, damn if he don’t.
Utterly ridiculous to think that fans are giving up on Havertz after only 3 games. It’s the 3 years he spent being mediocre at Chelsea that makes us all worried.
Thats 3 years
Not 3 games
Xhaka also spent years as a mediocre DM at Arsenal, before Arteta found Xhaka’s best position
Havertz is an international player in his prime, who’s been playing AM and CF roles for Germany
If Xhaka and Vieira could show improvement in the left-AM position, let alone Havertz
Havertz wasn’t always played out of position as many of us like to insinuate. Many times, he played in his natural CAM position at Chelsea and all to little avail. That doesn’t mean he cannot come good for us. It just means we overpaid in both fees & wages, and Artera is forcing him into the starting lineup when he’s not even ready. That is even a worse crime for me
In my opinion, he’s already been doing a decent job by winning duels and not making mistakes, although his defending and positioning skills have to be improved
I agree.During his time at Chelsea he was played in a number of different positions for a Club which was, and still is, in a state of flux.Let’s be honest,how many Chelsea players have played to the height of their powers during the past three years? Not many, but at least Havertz was the only constant in that he was a regular pick for Lampard,Tuchel and Potter.I think we tend to forget that he was only 21 when he moved to Chelsea and hopefully, at a Club which is free from turmoil and stable in substance,he can produce the performances he displayed in the Bundesliga.
While i agree with you, I need to point out that when you put a player on £330k p/w (making him your highest earner), you don’t expect fans to wait for his poyential. You can pay a large transfer fee for potential (Hojlund to Utd) but absolutely no one pays such obscene wages for potential, especially one that’s not been seen for three whole years.
Of course MA is correct.
Havertz was described as rubbish before he even signed33 for us and, let’s not forget, MA’s tinkering has seen him introduced into a struggling squad anyway.
Let’s give him a chance before making him another scapegoat.
Struggling,are you kidding me? Ken we get it you don’t like Arteta and his way of doing things but to say Arsenal is struggling is being disingenuous and a bit dramatic. 7 points out of a possible 9 – I may not be a native speaker of the English language but ‘struggling’ hardly describes Arsenal’s situation. Luton are struggling. Burnley are struggling. Chelsea are struggling.
Some of us will remember Thierry Henry couldn’t hit a barn door for the first three months of his Arsenal career then after his first goal he went on to nearly wining the golden boot that season and you all know the rest, some great players need time and confidence to get to their best as Havertz, MA is a ruthless manager if he didn’t think Havertz have what it takes he will drop him
Not sure about his ruthlessness, remember Willian?
Didn’t MA benched him after a few games
Did you say few games? Check with Google mate
MA chose to sign Havertz – it is on his head the money that was spent on the player.
Do you honestly believe that any other player is going to oust Havertz from the team?
I don’t think so.
He will do exactly what he has done – defend him to the hilt and praise his attitude – which is exactly what MA should do regardless of what he contributes to the team or not.
It is the sums we are talking about for a player that makes me believe Havertz is going to be a disaster for the club.
£65 million for a player that did so very little in the Premiership for what was then a pretty good Chelsea side. Added to that is the £330,000 a week that we are paying him.
The whole package to bring him to the club costs in excess of £130 million.
He came to Arsenal obviously lacking confidence and is being asked to play in a position that is unfamiliar to him, where he does not have the attributes of a player like Xhaka which would help him settle in.
The team thus far have seven out of nine points and he is getting stick for playing well, even holding the team back.
God knows what it will be like for him if we lose a couple on the row.
For me, Havertz is a bad signing – that money could have been spent so much more wisely than signing him – I hope he does pull it around but I just don’t see it.
Agree the money could have been spent differently but we are where we are so let’s get behind all the players
OT:does anyone know if the rumours concerning TP are true? apparently,he injured his hamstring and could be out for up to 3 months!
I was told it was his groin. A lot of rumours going around.
Yeah, I feel the fans have been poor regarding Havertz and I wish they gave him the same treatment as they gave Saliba Vieira and Zinchenko -when Saliba made a costly mistake the fans backed him anyway -and they sang for Vieira despite Vieira looking a little out of his depth and Zinchenko has made a number of errors but the fans continue to give him the love. Our fan power last season was phenomenal I want to see those guys rooting for Havertz
Havertz is a “Chealsea Outcast”. He won’t get that treatment from the “Pure” Arsenal fans ever.
Hahahaha! Keep shutting the “arm chair knows better” better wrong mikel.lol……..the Ramsdale part of his comment really got me,lol.He should remember he himself was considered “not the man” lol.
We are talking about a player who cost am arm and leg and the highest paid at the club not to mention has 3 seasons PL experience.
If he wanted to mold a player he should’ve molded ESR.
Why didn’t he mention Willian and other flops he has signed? Based purely on his signings history Havertz has a 40% to be a hit and 60% to be a flop.
He is an Arsenal player now and as Arsenal fans we should support our players at least a lot longer then three matches
I support all players. And I support too those more capable benched to accommodate a player who doesn’t look fit in yet.
Defending Havertz at the expense of ESR and Trossard just because the manager says so to me shows some of us are not supporting all players and club rather just a manager.
To me Arsenal is first and last. Because Arsenal will be there for me for the rest of my life but players and managers are just passersby unless they are someone very special with golden trophies, statues and all..
We dont need struggling players like kai with what we did with our young players so he better play well or drop out of the team.
I understand there’s so much pressure from fans. I’m my opinion I think Havertz will do much better as a striker than a central midfielder with Partey, Rice, and Odegaard supporting him from the midfield (particularly in a 4-2-3-1 formation).
Trossard and ESR…….and we bought Kai Havertz for £65 million…..OMG!!!! Arteta is in an alternative universe. Trossard is one of the best, ESR a top notch in the making. At Arsenal 1+ 1 = 3. Hope we do the business today, but I can’t deny I am worried.
Having tried to sign Ilkay Gundogan, think the gaffer was stunned to find a younger German cutting his teeth in the exact position on the pitch.
Havertz will come good but just like an old tube amplifier he needs time to properly warm.
At least Arteta doesn’t have favorites right?
Some fans are wondering why other players get overlooked, why Havertz gets forced into lineup.
So much for competition and form deciding selections, it’s square pegs in round holes.
Some have to earn opportunities and some just walk into the lineup.
Instead of asking fans, wish he would ask Havertz to show intensity, grit, and 100% effort, then he wouldn’t have to ask for support for Havertz, fans would already be on board.
Lets hope he,ll adapt quickly. There is no time for experimenting.
The pressure is high on Kai because of the 3 years spent at Chelsea. Us Arsenal fans don’t get to see what is happening behind the scenes and in training. We all jump on the band wagon and claim to know more about the team than the people in charge. Support the 11 players on the pitch and support the players waiting to get on the pitch, it is really simple!
Come on you gunners
MA needs to stop with these ridiculous analogies.i mean from courting the wife,to what time he leaves home,if the windshield is icy, whether he takes Kingsley road or the M25.. that’s not helping.