Graham Potter’s Chelsea: Where will Kai Havertz play?

This means that a center forward – or anyone that plays in that position – that drops deep a lot to “get involved” in play, is not occupying the centerbacks, and that is not good. Staying close to centerbacks limits their movements, and by doing that you’re doing more for your team than dropping deep, as a kind of false-nine. Yes, Pep Guardiola played a lot of games in the 2018/19 season without a “traditional No.9”, but what many failed to point out, or don’t realize, is that the absence of that striker in and of itself, is not what made them good.

Manchester City players are excellent at retaining the ball and much better at it than CFC players. This is incredibly important to how they play and how they create chances. There are few teams in world football, if any, that keep the ball as well as Manchester City. They also have a lot of shot creators and shot takers. Most teams need someone to pin their opposition centerbacks, as this helps in isolating fullbacks.

Two: Havertz’s ability to arrive in the box is drastically reduced when he’s the most advanced man. Centerbacks are trained to keep an eye on the most advanced players, as they would be the most likely to hurt their teams. There’s more attention on Havertz when he’s at center forward.

Other reasons include, but are not limited to, Havertz’s lack of ability to win enough ground duels to contend with opponents and his less than stellar big chance conversion rate. The former Brighton & Hove Albion boss would likely play ‘KH’ as an attacking midfielder in a three-centerback or two-centerback formation. Havertz can occupy the area directly around the top of the 18-yard box, otherwise known Zone 14. He can receive the ball there, hold it up and serve as a board for his teammates. He can also occasionally run in behind the opposition back line to latch onto some superb chances.