Chelsea: The criticism of Kai Havertz is premature and unwarranted
Chelsea’s Kai Havertz will be a superstar in English football when he gets fully acclimated to a new country, language, team and league.
Even before Kai Havertz’s unfortunate contraction of the Coronavirus, commentators have been critical of Chelsea’s superlative acquisition. The 21-year-old has not set the league on fire from the outset of the campaign and for that, he’s been slandered. The message here is this: calm down, he just needs to settle in. This young man will be a sensation, but it may take a short while. Havertz made perfect sense for Chelsea to sign in the summer. Why might it take a while for him to settle in? Let’s explore some reasons.
First, Havertz is a young German international. I’m not sure how much time he spent in England before signing with the Blues, but to think that transition alone isn’t a major difference is naive. Moving to a new country is a major lifestyle move, culture shock and transition. It’s tough under the most tranquil of circumstances; now, imagine you are a high-priced youngster moving to play in the English Premier League. The circumstances make it much more difficult and challenging. An overwhelming majority of football supporters—especially pundits—should realize this and know better than to criticize him this early.
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England is vastly different than Germany or anywhere else for that matter. To think that a transition from being in Leverkusen to living in London would be easy for any 21-year-old is ignorant. Having to perform at the highest levels of one of the top football clubs in Europe, and the world, places that challenge at a whole other level. Observers should be cognizant of that fact.
Second, Havertz has to communicate in a new language. It’s obvious the German had English training in the past, but even then, it’s new and it’s different in London. Christian Pulisic will readily acknowledge that it’s not always easy to understand English slang. Even Americans—who speak the language regularly—find it quite difficult on occasion to fully comprehend commentary from UK sportscasters. As George Bernard Shaw once said, “England and America are two countries separated by the same language.”
Third, Havertz has to play with a whole new bevy of teammates. Absent German national team colleagues Timo Werner and Antonio Rudiger, Havertz has been inserted into a completely new team with which he is unfamiliar. In addition, that new team has a plethora of other new starters who have never played together. This coalescence takes time for any team in any league, especially in a league as demanding as the Premier League where it’s a monumental challenge.
Fourth, popular wisdom says that playing in the Premier League is different and tougher than any other European league. That change in style and physicality would take an adjustment from even the most hearty physical specimens who make the switch from the continent to the English top flight. Havertz’s style is more of finesse than strength, so he will certainly find the transition to be more of a challenge than a more physical player might.
That notwithstanding, expect Havertz to adapt to the enhanced physicality of the Premier League. His strength training—in coordination with the Chelsea physio team—will better prepare him for the rigors of the transition. Without a doubt, he’ll emerge as a true star in the league shortly, perhaps even as soon as early in the new year.
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Commentators critical of Havertz should chill and wait until the player fully acclimatizes in a few months to all aspects of his new surroundings. Then they will have to “eat crow” so to speak when Havertz—as a No. 8 in Chelsea’s midfield—proceeds to wreak havoc on Premier League defenses. It will happen, the only question is how soon? Wait and see.