'Hasn’t delivered': Sherwood critical of Chelsea player with four PL starts this season
Tim Sherwood has slated Kai Havertz for not making a similar impact to those in the Chelsea dressing room who have flourished under Thomas Tuchel.
Speaking on the Kelly and Wrighty Show, Sherwood questioned the improvement of Havertz since the new regime at Stamford Bridge kicked in.
So many of the Champions League-winning squad owe their medals, and some their careers, to Tuchel.
Who knows if Frank Lampard could have guided the club to continental glory? But he certainly wasn’t getting the best out of Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Marcos Alonso or Jorginho, to name a few.
All those players have been vital to Chelsea’s transition from top-four hopefuls to title favourites.
Yet, Sherwood has identified one man he feels hasn’t hit the same heights as those treasuring Tuchel’s appointment.
“Kai Havertz hasn’t done it,” says the former Tottenham Hotspur manager.
“(He has) a big reputation. We were talking about Timo Werner (but) Kai Havertz hasn’t done it.
“What he has done, and Chelsea fans will tell us and Thomas will tell us, so will Roman Abramovich, he’s scored in a Champions League final.
“He’s scored in the Champions League final – so he hasn’t done bad.
“But, as a whole over the period, he hasn’t delivered.”
Come on, Kai
Chelsea fans, Thomas and Roman will rightly tell anyone in earshot Havertz scored in the Champions League final.
The German ultimately decided the Blues’ greatest night in their history apart from, perhaps, the other European extravaganza in 2012.
Some with blue-tinted glasses say that one goal makes up for all the mediocre displays the 22-year-old has put in since his arrival the previous summer.
Others may share Sherwood’s standpoint and think the young forward has so much more to give.
Havertz is a wonderfully gifted footballer, no doubt about it.
Tuchel recognises this as well, having started his compatriot in four out of five Premier League games this season.
Havertz scored the goal that eventually secured a point against Liverpool, which could turn out to be a huge result in the race for league supremacy.
His assist in the Super Cup final also set up Chelsea’s penalty shoot-out victory over Villarreal.
So, there have been moments of Havertz magic in the past 12 months.
However, they need to appear on a consistent basis for Sherwood backers to rein in their criticism.
