Chelsea FC in crisis
Havertz and Werner suffered in the Premier League
Chelsea FC’s most expensive transfers: Kai Havertz and Timo Werner (r.)
© Alex Livesey / John Walton / Getty Images
Chelsea FC is in crisis. That has a lot to do with the fact that the most expensive transfers of the summer, the German national players Kai Havertz and Timo Werner, are only sitting on the bench or are in a crisis of form.
National coach Joachim Löw should look worriedly to London. There, at Chelsea, there are two national players who are supposed to help lead the national team out of their lows after the 6-0 debacle against Spain. But at the moment the hopefuls are plagued by other concerns. The highly talented Kai Havertz usually sits on the bench after a Covid 19 infection. Timo Werner plays regularly, but is completely out of shape. The attacker has not scored a goal across all competitions in twelve games – despite the best chances.
Werner provided a symbol of his form crisis last weekend when he wanted to play a corner kick in the game against Manchester City, but hit the ball and corner flag at the same time – and hurt himself in the process. “If it’s not your day,” tweeted Gary Lineker, England’s number one football expert, and posted the video clip.
High demands at Chelsea
The problem is that Havertz and Werner do not meet the extremely high standards of the London club at the moment – just like the entire team. Chelsea FC is in a serious crisis. In the past six games, the Londoners won only one game, reached a draw, but received four defeats. The team fell from third place in the meantime to ninth.
This is why coach Frank Lampard comes under pressure. The former professional led the team to fourth place and into the Champions League in his first season as a coach. In the summer, club owner Roman Abramowitsch donated almost 250 million euros for new players (with transfer proceeds of 53 million euros). No club in Europe took more money into their hands. The aim of the investments is to make Chelsea a great power in England and Europe again after years. Most of the money was invested in German talent. The Blues put down 81 million euros for Havertz and made the former Leverkusen man the most expensive German professional of all time. Timo Werner was the second most expensive new addition in the summer with 53 million euros.
The fact that the two are now in a form crisis has a lot to do with the coach. Neither of them play in their favorite positions. Lampard often uses Havertz on the wing or as a striker, but he feels most comfortable in the (right) attacking midfield. The same applies to Werner, who has to run into the storm on the outside, although he feels more comfortable in the center. Havertz did not make it back to the starting XI after his Covid 19 illness. “We have to give him time, especially because of his situation with Covid. It’s not that it isn’t a problem, it’s a problem that goes beyond his illness and I’m here to help him,” said Lampard a few days ago.
The coach indicated that Harvertz’s weak demeanor had so far also had to do with difficulties in adapting to the Premier League. As a precaution, Lampard announced that he would give the 21-year-old all the time in the world to develop. Nobody in London doubts that Havertz is one of the greatest talents in world football.
Great pressure from high transfer fees
Another reason for the form crisis could be the enormous pressure that inevitably arises from the high transfer fees. Havertz wouldn’t be the first talent to tense up under expectations that are too high. Timo Werner, who had to listen to harsh words from Lampard before Christmas because of his missed opportunities to score, openly admitted: “It matters how much you cost.” But he’s got used to that. On the other hand, he still has to adapt to the physical requirements in the Premier League: “It’s more difficult than I thought. The contact here is harder than in Germany. I expected it, but not like that,” he told Sky Sports. The tight schedule does the rest. Things went well for Werner in the first few months. In 23 competitive appearances, he scored eight goals and prepared six. Then came the break-in.
How long Werner and Havertz will play under Lampard is open. Allegedly, the relationship between the coach and some players is said to be disrupted. Lampard sometimes has a rough tone, it is said. The English media are already speculating about his replacement. After all, there is a trainer on the market who is in great demand across the island: his name is Thomas Tuchel.
Swell: DPA, “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, “Kicker”, “transfermarkt.de”, “The Athletic”
