Why Kai Havertz needs to be dropped
Let’s just call it for it what it is. Kai Havertz has been an awful signing so far.
If we are being serious, this is a problem Mikel Arteta has created for himself. It was his choice to waste £65 million on Havertz rather than using that money to get a quality striker.
We all know Havertz underperformed at Chelsea in his three years there so why did Arteta buy him when he could have got a top Premier League player like James Maddison if he wanted a midfielder? We could have bought him and still had change.
In 16 games, the German has only managed one goal and assist. That is horrendous for a £65 million signing who has already had Premier League experience. And that one goal was a charity penalty given by his teammates to boost his confidence. Well he hasn’t scored since then.
I have heard many excuses from this fanbase, saying it’s a new system for him and it takes time. That is nonsense, we have not even saw a glimmer of quality from him yet.
Instead of pretending he has been a good signing, by hyping up his defensive stats while he is an attacking player, just admit he has been a poor signing.
The midfield should be Rice, Jorginho and Odegaard. I would even try Zinchenko in midfield as he is much better at going forward than he is defensively.
I want Havertz to come good but this signing was a big mistake.
Vivek Julka
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This Kai signing was a disgrace!
Just compare the speed of running towards the opposing goalkeeper when the goalie receives a back pass. Ode runs at full throttle with a lots of determination. This fella just saunters towards the goalie as if in slow motion. Pathetic!
Top earner at approx 310,000 pounds. Arsenal stuck with him for a long time..
Put a fatherly hand on his shoulder, walk him out onto the training ground and rip up his contracts to shreds right in front of him. Let him watch as the wind carries it away.
Have him sat on the grass and tell him, listen blud, you can leave tomorrow morning, or you can take 20k a week which is still a great thing for doing absolutely nothing since you got here.
And let’s circle back if you eventually rediscover the reason why you choose to be a footballer in the first instance.
It’s not looking good but it’s too early to write him off yet, for me. Completely understand the negative views towards him, though.
The only hope I see is the defensive aggression he often exhibits (even though he’s ridden the line a couple of times). Gary neville said, and I agree, that he would want to see him show that aggression in attack at times because that could make him really quite dangerous. As things stand he looks low on confidence, and that aggression comes off as frustration at not being able to do what he showed he could do back in Germany.
I do see him as a different case to willian, who I think simply gave when it wasn’t working. I do think havertz is trying, but needs to find that confidence. If it doesn’t change soon, I’m quite sure he’ll be finding himself on the bench a lot – which might be the best thing for him. Still, doesn’t look good for such an expensive signing…
Some labelled Sanllehi a criminal for signing Pepe but our signing of Havertz is hands down a bigger mistake than that.
I can understand wanting to take a chance on a player like Pepe who was setting Ligue 1 alight, much like when Chelsea signed Havertz who was impressive at Leverkusen. Unfortunately both players struggled to settle in the EPL for several years and became big money flops. Now what I cannot understand is why would anyone after witnessing a player’s failed integration at this level, continue to ignore that fact and pay almost the same amount of money again to sign him in the same league. That’s essentially what MA did by signing Havertz.
It would be a different matter if we took a gamble and signed Havertz for less than 20M after he flopped at Chelsea, but we foolishly paid almost the same amount as what Chelsea paid for him the first time. Why don’t we see other managers like MA in the league who would pay us 65M to take Pepe off our hands? No one was even remotely interested to take a bite however low the fee was. If signing Havertz for 65M is not a case of gross negligence then I truly don’t know what is
On current showing, Havertz is having a tough time. You are right to mention Sanhelli who had his hands all over other signings as well. Both Mari and Cedric were brought in as loan signings from January until the end of the season. Neither impressed sufficiently but were then awarded long term contracts as Sanhelli and the agents were old mates. That’s what makes it criminal. Should such a situation arise over the Havertz signing, then it would likely mean that Edu and Arteta are ‘in bed’ with agents too. I’m not seeing that at all.
There were rumours of Sanhelli being corrupt but no evidence to back it up. Definitely not implying that Edu and Arteta are, but there is no logical reason why we would sign a player who has flopped at Chelsea for 3 years for almost the same fee they paid for him, other than gross negligence on the part of Arteta and Edu. That makes it by far a bigger mistake than when Sanhelli signed Pepe for a club record fee
I’m not impressed so far but give him some more time. Hopefully he can come good
It could be worse..I mean a certain club coughed up 100milion quid for a guy who spins,doesn’t defend,doesn’t take on his man and he’s supposed to be the next big thing..Kai needs time and patience
Can we just leave this Havertz article on his performance or mistakes Arteta made in buying him? His Criticism would hadly change anything but worsen his confidence and inturn his performance. Odegard’s first trial at Arsenal was highly criticised but he came good in his second season. Havertz games in the absence of Odegard has improved he seem better playing from the right side midfield than Left and his physicality and winning duells is also important. Hopefully by mid season we shall see a much improved Havertz. Support from fans at this stage of his life as an Arsenal player would do him a lot of encouragement. We can’t just write him off yet; to what benefit?
It’s just the simple truth sir. Why hide the truth? Who cares if he gets worse?
Simply play Trossard or Zinchenko in that position.
Trossard can’t be on the bench while Havertz is on the pitch messing us up.
The time when you typed “Who cares if he gets worse?”, I think the discussion is over……
It was an impulse signing born out of youthful exuberance by the gaffer, shock to stumble upon a young German international who has champions league experience, very decorative at such a tender age.
Indeed he has already have a massive career many can only dream of, having gone ahead signing the big German and arm with the wisdom class is permanent, we cannot right off this big German atleast not yet.
Oh please, low on confidence is an EXCUSE! His blooming pay check should give him all the confidence he needs. All he needs to do is open his mobile banking up every week and see the 331,000 reasons he should have confidence (minus income tax). Put it in perspective, the average person can just about pay a mortgage back over 25 years. He can buy the same house in cash, EVERY WEEK! If you don’t have confidence in your abilities as one of the highest paid athletes in the world, then he’s in the wrong job. How have we given him a 5 year contract with those wages anyway?? It’s a travesty and most probably will cause disharmony on the squad. Someone’s head is on the chopping block for this blunder.
Some players if not performing are said to lack confidence but some are told that they are not good enough. The earlier is the case of Harvetz . He is tall but he is not a threat at set places on scoring neither at defending. The guy is slow & loosing possession easily. Arteta bought him to add that extra needed to win the League but alas he won’t get it. It’s better to look for someone in January & send Harvetz on loan .
Not many teams will be willing to take him on loan and cover his crazy wages. The few tams in Europe that could afford him, won’t want him based on his performances Nd stats. So we are stuck with him, unless of course we pay most of his wages and loan him out, which brings us back to the point of how much some idiot at Arsenal decided he was worth a week. Is this Edu’s doing? Silent Stan needs to get on the phone to Edu and become hairdryer Stan and ask, where are you splurging my war chest and how much did the agent make (and is the agent Brazilian)? This deal, the Willian deal, Petr Cech, David Luiz and probably Jorghino as well, are all questionable in terms of age, profile of player and wages. Last January we was after Dusan Vlahovic for the whole window and the whole world new about it. We didn’t sign a striker then, or in the next window either but we managed to pay £65m on Havertz. Where’s the striker that we felt we needed the whole of last winter’s transfer window? None of this adds up in my mind.
From the moment the Havetz deal was announced, I knew it was a disaster waiting to happen, especially the amount of money that went into doing the deal. I remember calling it another Pepe loading. That money could have been much much better utilized. Arteta had better make Havertz to work asap or he may have questions to answer from the owners.
I think you are right, it better work, they have no choice as there needs to be results to show a return on investment, i.e. trophies. No good Kai coming good in a few seasons, not for that price tag. If it is in a few seasons, so be it and I hope he smashes it when he does but we need our starting 11 at full speed now, to fight on all the fronts. Where’s the ruthlessness and competition for places we was lead to believe existed? Do we have no one playing for us that can perform better than Havertz, how Havertz is playing currently, in his position?
The article speaks truth. Plainly, it was a very bad buy and we will pay the price, not only financially either, for this MA huge mistake.
He has no real determination, despite some effort to put the boot in on opponents of late.
No energy, no determination , no effectiveness. NO damned good either.
Arsenal fans said Odegaard was also a big mistake when he came on loan to arsenal from Real Madrid but what happened in is second season made everyone impressed with him so i personally will give Havertz time to get things right just like i gave Odegaard time to also get things right.
Ødegaard already had a blistering season at Real Soceidad, tearing up La Liga alongside Oyarzabaal before being benched back at Madrid. It’s not easy to displace Modric and you should know that. Moreover, his transfer fee and wages weren’t silly money. In the case of Havertz, he’s been terrible in the EPL for three whole f*cking years and we gave Chelsea almost what they paid for him while doubling his wages. How can you excuse that?
As an arsenal fan their is nothing i could do to stop arteta from wanting to sign Havertz from Chelsea if he saw that he could transform is midfield the same way any arsenal fan cannot stop Havertz being selected by arteta in is first team lineup a coach signs a player even if most wouldn’t like because at the end coaches have patience at players than it’s fans look at Joelinton of Newcastle he was moved from playing as a CF to CM because the coach Eddie Howe is willing to be patient with him as Joelinton learns to be a true midfielder,Arteta is also showing patients to Havertz as he learns how to play in is new position but for us fans patients is what we lack i personally what a good midfielder in that position that’s why i want arsenal to bring in Teun Koopmainers of Atalanta because he is the perfect player for that position
to play in that left midfield role and leave Havertz to play in cup games as he learn.
What on Eath do you “think” Odegaard has to do with Havertz?
NO SENSIBLE COMPARISON WHATSOEVER!
THEY ARE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PEOPLE, FOR GOODNESS SAKE!!
I think what he is trying to say is that Odegaard was given a chance and so should Havertz.
It’s so refreshing to see there are fans out there, who are not just Arteta disciples, but true supporters of the team. Peddling baseless excuses to musk mistakes does not help the club. Arteta is not infallible, but on Havertz he lost all manner of logic and common sense. One just hopes he’s learned a lesson that he’s doesn’t have superpowers to turn bad players into brilliant ones. He’s persisting with Nketiah who’ll never be a great striker; another delusion driven by bias.
The only way I see Havertz succeeding is to play him as false no.9. He should be instructed to hold up and draw defenders thus creating space for other attackers and also use his height to go in for headers. Jesus can rotate with Saka and Trossard with Martinelli.
gunnerforlife arteta has payed players before to leave the club if they are under performing or are against is tactics he should sell Haverz or pay to leave at the end of the season if is confidence is still low players like Ozil,Aubameyang,Kolasinac,Mustafi, Willian were payed to leave that should also apply to Havertz if he continues with current form.
65M and 300K/W works out to be around 110M down the drain if we pay to terminate his contract next summer. That’s also a massive amount of money we could have spent on a striker and midfielder. We dug ourselves a really deep hole to get out of
I’m not gonna follow muppets to call players what they think players are. It’s only November and Arsenal are 3rd place only 3 points behind Man City. Kai Havertz had been an excellent signing and his performances are getting better by the game. He only need to improve his attacking output in parallel with his outstanding defensive output. I’m with the manager and totally understand his tactical philosophy. I don’t care about those who are ignorant about modern football.
Arteta must just admit that he was faulted when he brought this guy [Kai] to the Arsenal fold.
Perhaps we could all take a step back and THINK about Havertz time at chelsea?
Here’s a regular German international, who scored the winning goal in a CL final… while enduring the turmoil of Abramovitch having to sell the club… followed by three different managers, none of whom could stop the slide down the table… then seeing six months of not knowing who the new owners would be… watching as they then spent millions on, what seemed like, any player who became available… then saw chelsea in complete disarray both on and off the pitch.
Any player would be shot of confidence, just look at Mason Mount for example – an England international struggling to get into the worst manure team for ages.
He has played just (I believe) twelve games for our club, during which time we have lost just one PL game and won the CS against city… we also beat city for the first time in the PL for heaven’s knows how many seasons.
The problem is / was that, for so many Arsenal fans, he was deemed as a chelsea cast off and, before he even put pen to paper, was labelled as a disaster and that sentiment has continued to this day.
I beg to differ… what I saw against Burnley, was a player who was starting to gel with his colleagues, Saka in particular, making runs down the wing and the middle, wanting the ball and contributing to the team.
How on earth anyone could think we could be joint second and just one point behind city, if we were carrying Havertz in every game, while he was doing nothing and believing that Mikel Arteta would not see this, is ridiculous.
Yes, we paid way too much for him – Yes he is on a ridiculous contract – Yes he still has a way to go but if one cannot see that MA is starting to get some reward for the faith he has shown in him, then I give up said “fan” – I’m going to judge him at the end of the season, roughly 40 odd league and cup games, not 12 and let’s see if MA can produce what Tuchel, Potter and Lampard couldn’t… after all he did the same thing with Xhaka versus Wenger and Emery…. and it’s the same “fans” who wrote Xhaka off, shouting the LOUDEST with regards to Havertz.
I will refer to an ancient Chinese saying which applies here.
“Wise man know you cannot polish a turd”
That says it all…
He wasn’t very wise if that’s what he was trying to do was he?!