Arteta heaps praise on Havertz
Despite taking time to get off the first gear in Arsenal colours, slowly but surely Kai Havertz is showing why he belongs at the Emirates Stadium, although a very large percentage of Arsenal fans continue to disparage his contributions to our success.
The German has made 33 appearances for the Gunners, since switching West London for North London last summer.
During that time, he has made six goal contributions. Even with that figure falling short of expectations, the midfielder has started to impress many Arsenal supporters with his on-field displays.
Before Arsenal’s match against Burnley, manager Mikel Arteta heaped praise on the 24-year-old stating that he is a “joy to work with.”
“I love him,” said the Spanish tactician. “I think we all love him as a player and as a person, everything that he brings to the team.”
“There were two or three moments the other day [against West Ham United] when it was 4-0, 5-0, or 6-0 and how he tracks people and how he’s defending the box and then how he’s attacking the box.
“The position that he’s constantly threatening the opponent’s box as well, that I really like, and you ask him to play as a nine, as a right attacking midfielder, left attacking midfielder, on the base defending and he does it. He’s just a joy to work with.”
There is no doubt that Havertz’s performances have hit a superior level in the second half of the campaign. But he still looks a shadow of the player everybody witnessed at Bayer Leverkusen.
Arsenal supporters will simply wish for him to continue ascending to the heights he was destined for at the onset of his career. If he indeed does, boy, don’t we have an exceptional player on our hands, who is capable of turning football into poetry.
The question is; How good does he have to get before Arsenal fans start to appeciate the Big German?
Writer – Yash Bisht
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I have been an advocate for his signing from day one and you will never see anything different from me. I predicted he could emulate RvP but it will take time. He’s not the same player that he was at Leverkusen and probably never will be again. Similarly, he’s a totally different character to RvP but his technical level is almost as good, except he does so much more for the team.
I think he’s a terrific player and a great team player, which is something that is a rare commodity and we are fortunate to have 2 players in Havertz and Jesus who give everything in every game. I think both would benefit from being utilised a bit differently. Jesus is a winger, not a striker. And Kai is now a striker (false 9) not a midfielder.
” How long will it take us to love him”!
How about untilhe starts to play a lWHOL ELOT beter and be FAR MORE EFFECTIVE!
That is the plain and OBVIOUS answer and to realists such as I nas many other onJA too, to judge from multiple posts, the important question remains will he EVER do so. To this realist the answer is a depressing NO.
To be clear he is not a dreadfuol player and hasSOME talent, but he lacks dynamism andbodily strength, even though he has height.
Above all he lacks the ability to EFFECT GAMES in our favour.
Just a squad player on far too much wages and a ridiculously wasted huge transfer fee that could and OUGHT to have been spenr far more wisely.
All the above applies to VIERA too. A waste, in total, of £100mill DOWN THE DRAIN! And we STILL badly need a proper proven striker.
SIGH!
Jon
I agree completely with your opinion and comments above.
Havertz and Vieira are not 18 year old promoted academy players struggling to find a place in the Arsenal squad. Were that the case, many would show more patience and understanding regarding their performances.
Havertz has been in the PL for several years, on massive wages, is it too harsh to expect him to be impactful? Rice took to the club like a fish to water, so did Saliba, Rice, Tomiyasu, Jesus, Partey (when he was fit), Trossard, to name a few.
It’s about loving the club for me, above players or managers.
No need to have articles about loving Rice or Saliba, Saka or Martinelli, because they perform and deliver results.
Perhaps instead of “selling” Havertz to drum up sympathy, if he produced his performances would sell himself.
He is not a central midfielder, not a striker, not a winger. IMHO he is a 10, and behind Odegaard and ESR in the pecking order.
As far as Vieira, he is Willian-esque; produces nothing and hopefully gone as soon as possible. A timid, frail player who is unsuited for both Arsenal and the PL in general. Ludicrous to attempt to justify his inclusion at Arsenal.
What bliss Durand to read a mind so totally alike and above all, REALISTIC!
If only he can add more goals to his other contributions to the team. Our German will be competing for top scorer in the EPL and Europe. His positioning is that good. All he needs is confidence in front of the post. I don’t care how sluggish he does it. Just bury it.
Aside that. Kai is not just a squad player. He is a solid team player. Let’s get that right.
Hey Jon, normally I am ok with your views, but considering you bill yourself as some kind of advanced thinker, you’re so offside with your views on Havertz, you wouldn’t know REALITY, if it tripped you on the halfway line.
He’s never let the team down, his team mates appear to like him, MA keeps picking him….. Why the personal attacks? What’s another word for fan? I’ll give you a hint: Supporter. Think on that a little.
Brilliant response Frank and I’ve waited to see if Jon would respond.
Sigh!!
I like Havertz and don’t see why some Gooners still give him a hard time. Yes he was expensive, but he’s a proven big-game player and they are expensive. Yes he took time to gel, but he’s looking very much part of the team now. Yes he’s not a “Proper” No.9, but if Arsenal could not get one at the time then he’s done alright considering.
“Alright considering”!
And do you imagine that even for a moment, such as Pep or Klopp would consider that depressing phrase to be ALL THEY DEMAND from new signings??!
I thing we all know, you included, the honest answer to that!
Realists, which means those among us with REAL ambition, know we need TOP PLAYERS WHO EFFECT GAMES IN OUR FAVOUR and NOT “alright considering” mere squad players on ridiculious wgaes and costing FAR too much in transfer fees.
REALITY!!
He is not a proper centre forward that was shown by his miss against Liverpool but that game also showed he is a player willing to work bloody hard in a position that he does not favour, we should praise him for that not dwell on his weaknesses. For the rest of the game, he was excellent. He made up for the fact that he is not a goal poacher by dropping deep and helping us dominate midfield.
We would have been in a mess without him considering all the other midfield injuries we have had this season. With Partey, Vieira and Smith Rowe on the sidelines, Havertz has been crucial and taking Granit Xhaka’s place has been no easy task but Havertz has played in every game but one. He does not convince as a striker but he covers a lot of ground in midfield, is good defensively, especially in the air, can pick a good pass and make those dangerous runs.
With all our midfielders back, I am not sure he is a starter but will probably continue to feature in every game and his European experience will be very useful. It is players like him, Saka, Rice and Ødegaard – capable of putting consistent performances fifty games a year that will win us trophies.
I love this pic.
The gaffer : ‘ Saka, don’t cross the ball until the big German at the far post’.
The Big German : ‘ So you wants me to go on and score again bossy’.
Jorginho : eavesdropping with a smirky and approving smile on his face.
Maybe if he wins the UCL final for us as he did for Chelsea or when he becomes more productive
He is Xhaka’s replacement, right now I would take xhaka of last season over Havertz all day everyday.
That’s such an easy question to answer :
Until another scapegoat is found.
The realists amongst us who watch him week in and week out agree with MA and Havertz doesn’t have to run around like a bull in a China shop to try and impress those who only judge players on how much they run around the pitch shouting and gesticulating.
My only problem is his salary, which is grotesquely over the top, but we should blame those who awarded such a ridiculous amount, rather than the person who accepted it.
Ken Your use of “scapegoat” is entirley wrong headed . FANS PAY A GREAT DEALOF MONEY TO FOLLOW TOP FOOTBALL and we are all entitle to expect, for th stupidlu awarde monet that ALL earn, a levelof efforet and impactfulness that HAVERTZ HAS NOT SHOWN ast allin our shirt NOR DID MUCH AT AL, save an od game her and ther everebn at Chelsea. Same applies to Viera but even more so.
We are entitled to call out ANY PERSON AT ALL, MANAGER, OWNER ,COACH, PLAYER OR OTHER FAN WHO PLAINLY SUPPORTS THE RIGHT OF AN INDIVIDUAL ABOVE THE HEALTH AND SUCCESS OF OUR TEAM.
THAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE, WHICH YOU NEVER SEEM TO GRASP!
Oh I grasp it completely Jon – you can express your opinion, but if anti e differs from that opinion, they are not realists and don’t support the club etc etc etc.
IF you were realistic, you would ask yourself WHY MA admires what the player is doing… is it because Hazard is doing EXACTLY what the manager is asking from him?
It doesn’t even occur to you that MA might know more about the situation than you (now an armchair fan) as he’s with the player during the week, at training and watches him during the game.
Havertz has improved immensely since his arrival and one has to remember that he came from a club in complete turmoil.
He obviously lacked any form or confidence but MA has been patient with him and we are up there vying for the title.
How absurd an argument you make, when you say he’s not a scapegoat – you and others have been on his case, even before he’d signed for us, so don’t give me that old BS!!
WE ARE ENTITLED TO SUPPORT OUR PLAYERS AND MANAGER, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE JUST TWO POINTS OFF THE TOP OF THE PL AND HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL OUT ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO CONSTANTLY DERIDES PLAYERS WHILE DEMANDING OTHERS SHOULD SUPPORT THE MANAGER AND PLAYERS.
@ken.
You know that only one opinion counts in some peoples minds so therefore everyone else is an uneducated idiot. FaCT!
I read this recently and thought it summed up JF to a tee :
Remember, just because you went to University, it doesn’t make you smarter than everyone else.
Common sense doesn’t come with a degree!!
So apt, when Jon thinks he knows better than Arsene Wenger and Mikel Arteta when it comes to players abilities – but being realists, we know that’s a FACT!!
Oh Ken
Will Havertz get into a Guardiola’s City or Klopp’s Liverpool team? He’s on £280k p/w. That’s wages paid to world class players at very few clubs in the world. What does he do that an academy player cannot? 3 years in England and we’re complementing him by saying he “did okay”, “didn’t perform badly”, etc. That’s a £65m player
dgr8xt, what kind of argument is that?
We are vying with the two clubs you mention and I do believe, Havertz has featured in every PL game.
Are you saying that we have achieved this, while playing with ten men and, don’t forget we have beaten city twice this season and taken four points out of six from Liverpool in the PL, while having up to eight players out injured (thanks Jen!!).
You might well quote words from the fans, but I would rather listen to MA who’s with him a lot more.
“I love him and what he brings to the squad, he’s a joy to work with” – doesn’t THAT tell you something?
The reason we don’t like him is because of his very high wages against just above average performance. If he wasn’t on those wages and didn’t cost £65M, I wouldn’t have a problem with him.
How much did grealish cost? Has he justified his price tag of £100m yet or his wages.
As you can see Doku is ahead of Jack Grealish in the current Manchester city team.
What I can tell any gunner is that Kai havertz will come good before the season ends.
Coyg support every player equally.
To be honest he is a just a pepe on higher wages. I really belive he is not bad but not arsenal quality he is a decent player but so was guendozi for example. Arteta is bias on this signing i get more excited watching ethan.
Ethan was interesting to watch (against West Ham I mean)
So is one other youngster we used during the preseason (Cozier Duberry)
someone gave Martinelli, Saka & Smith-Rowe a chance (someone being Unai)
I wish Arteta could groom these 2 boys into the first team
This was the same feeling I was having watching Gnabry & wishing Wenger will develop the boy into the first team
Sincerely I rate those two boys above Marquinhos
Let’s be honest… Havertz is a mediocre player who contributes little to the team… The truth is that Arteta doesn’t want to admit this truth because he wasted 65 million pounds on a weak player.
So he’ll risk his position as manager, by playing someone wh ” contributes little ” just to prove a point?!
Look at our results, where we are in the league, who we’ve beaten and, then, think again!!
He did it with Willian. The player later admitted he didn’t fit in from day one. Arteta knew this and saw it in practice and in games but still played him!!!
How do you know he saw it in practice?
Remember, this was Arteta’s first season as a coach / manager and he has improved since then has he not?
Arteta said he only gets involved in the signings when it is in the last phase of signing a player. So Edu is the one who initially pushed for this signing Arteta has no additional bias because it wasn’t his idea in the first place Yesterday Arteta mentioned: he only gets involved at the end
Another way of thinking about it is:
He only gets involved in the “actual process of purchasing the player” in the end
Doesn’t mean he wasn’t the one that told Edu: “this so-so players(s) is/are who i want & who u should go for”
Edu goes for the players,
Arteta is not involved in the “going-for-the-player” processes
In the end, it’s still him
It’s only fans. Which I term “it’s a goal fans” (it’s a goal fan, is a fan that only appreciate you when you score. He does not care about your other contribution to the team. So no matter how well you play, if you don’t score. You are not in the team. But if you score, no matter how bad you play, you are the star.)
What am I saying? Only it’s a goal fans that will continue to pick on the German. But how I wish he add goals to his general play. He will be competing for top scorer. His positioning is good enough.
Ask yourself these questions? Which three players if got injured would affect our title run? If in a CL final, who would be your first three players on the team sheet? Which three players can carry the team when the team is playing poorly? If Havertz isn’t in any of those answers, then he’s a waste of funds, being club top earner and costing £65M.
What?
So your judging him on his salary and what he cost the club?
Who paid the fee, who agreed the contract?
If you really believe what your saying, then the people you should be having a go at, are those who did just that!!
Meanwhile, MA says he’s a joy to have and loves what he brings to the club….. as he’s with the player six days a week, wouldn’t you say that counts for something?
I do bash Mikel for the decision to bringing in Havertz at the cost and wages yet we could do way better with someone actually worth the prices. Also, Arteta, like many other coaches often say things they don’t actually mean. Remember his talk on Raya and Ramsdale when Raya was joining?
Some fans are just too emotional, some of this keypad coaches that knows more than MA can’t even coach a kindergarten 5 a side. for me 65million is even small for Havertz in todays market.
I will love him and cheer for him, just as soon as Arsenal sell him!!
I do not hate him, I just think we can find somebody better.
As I have said before, his presence is tied to Arteta’s ego,
so it will take a huge explosion to move him on.
Havertz presence is tied to what he brings to the team. Given the way we are dominating teams with Havertz in the team the criticisms are continuing to lose credibility.
I think I described KH as invisible in one game and apart from that decided to watch and wait. Blind faith in Arteta in my case? That is a possibility but I am writing this post after yet another comfortable away win which featured a goal by Havertz. He features a lot and Ken 1945’s assertion that Arteta isn’t going to play a dummy week after week is one I happen to agree with.
We all know that not every player adapts instantly to new players and situations and it did take Havertz time to bed in. However, the flak he gets is absolutely way over the top and he is proving to be a wise signing
I fully agree with Ken. I was among the few people who, right from the outset, were urging some of our supporters to give Havertz a chance. I based my argument on Havertz’s performances for Chelsea against us. I have not regretted my earlier stance. If anything, I have been vindicated. Does anyone remember our game last year where we won by just one goal scored by Havertz. (Unfortunately I don’t recall which team it was). Can someone, please remind me? Havertz’s contribution since Christmas have indeed been outstanding. Hate him or love him, Havertz has delivered.
We have our Xhaka back!
Kai is doing all the hard yards that Granit did, both of them without much acknowledgment from Gooners. And Kai is younger, more talented, and will eventually have twice the impact Granit had in our opponent’s box.
As much as he has put in a shift in each game he played, it is below expectations based on his salary and experience. I remember a big number of fans wanted a certain player out even though he helped the team to win a trophy. I consider Havertz very lucky or more fortunate than other players that are slated and wished they could be sold despite lack of game time to prove themselves.