Paul Merson has called out Chelsea manager Frank Lampard for the way he’s handled German star Kai Havertz.
Havertz arrived at Stamford Bridge as arguably the biggest of all the Blues summer signings, being the poster boy of the German national team at such a young age and he was a star in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen.
But the 21-year-old attacking midfielder has had a mixed start to his career in English football, despite scoring four goals and setting up four assists.
The left-footer missed a few games in November for a period of isolation and since his return to the side has really struggled.
It’s not helped that the £140,000-a-week star has alternated between a number eight position and a wide role, but in any case he’s looked a long way off the standards many expected.
Pundit Merson has suggested that Lampard has made the wrong call in terms of consistently starting him, plus he would like to see the manager keep him in one position.
“Chelsea actually looked better without him [Havertz]. I don’t know why Frank Lampard threw him right back into the team because his confidence looks shot,” Merson wrote in the Daily Star.
“If you spend the amount of money they did on him, you want more than a utility player, so I’m surprised he’s played so many positions.”
Lampard perhaps should take some criticism when it comes to moving Havertz into different areas of the pitch, but in fairness he’s still trying to work out his best formula with so many new players at the club.
The English manager has also had his hands forced of late, with wide players Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi both sidelined through injury.
It may be a good idea to pull Havertz out of the firing line by putting him on the bench for the next league clash with West Ham and he’s still physically trying to adjust to the Premier League, but he’s got the individual talent to come through a tough start.
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