Unable to unlock the best of Werner & Havertz: The reason why Frank Lampard is losing the plot at Chelsea

To whom much is given, much is expected. This is a lucid scenario of the expectations of all and sundry at the time when Chelsea’s Manager Frank Lampard massively invested over £200m — the highest amount spent in the Summer transfer window — on the recruitment of fresh bloods into the Chelsea team. Albeit he expended a fat sum of money, has he been able to live up to expectation?

With the signing of Dutch player of the year Hakim Ziyech(£33m), Leicester City’s Ben Chilwell(£50m), RB Leipzig’s forward Timo Werner(£47m), Bayern Leverkusen’s attacker Kai Havertz(£79m), and a host of others; Chelsea seemed to have garnered the perfect team to compete perfectly at the highest levels. On paper, the richness of the Blues squad depth may have been astonishing, only for it to be dilettantish, lacking the potency to challenge for titles among the elite team pragmatically.

Despite 7 players landing into the Chelsea team during the busy transfer window, the signing of Kai Havertz and Timo Werner were the focal point of discussion as all eyes were on the two German-bread footballers to showcase their class. Perhaps due to the “big-money” signing of Havertz coupled with his impressive record in the Bundesliga notching 36 goals and creating 25, it became imperative for the 21-year old to prove his worth. And for Timo Werner’s prolific form in the goal industry scoring 28 goals in the previous campaign in Germany, in addition to been named among the Europe top goalscorers in 2019/2020 season, the striker needed to maintain the standard and replicate his formidable previous campaign at Chelsea.

But in an unprecedented twist of fate, Kai Havertz and Timo Werner have struggled to find their feet in order to hit the ground the running since joining the London club with both players nursing dissimilar issues affecting their productivity in play. To watch Werner of late is to be torn between pity and disbelief. A wonderful yet wasteful material has now gone 12 club games without a goal in all competitions after numerous glorious openings coming his way have been scuffed, ballooned and gently rolled wide. The most recent was an unimaginable one-on-one opportunity against Westham United he squandered. A scarcely credible miss against Leeds United when he somehow managed not to score from one yard out, with no goalkeeper; to mention (but) a few of his profligacy on goal. According to the Premier League statistics, Timo Werner has missed 8 “big chances” this season.

Many would clamour that the German International been played out of his preferred position constitutes why his performance is below par. Frank Lampard in order to enable Tammy Abraham lead the line deployed the 24-year old Werner to the wing. He hoodwinked everyone into believing his capability as a winger when he made over 10 goals contributions in 17 games. Soon his true colours were revealed that he his not in the class of wingers following the sloppiness that characterized his games in recent time.

Then Lampard employing the use of another tactics on the day when Manchester City pipped Chelsea in a 3-1 win switched the precarious Werner to the No 9 role. Rather for the former Leipzig’s forward to exhibit the qualities of striker, no presence of a striker was felt by the City’s defense as Werner ran willy-nilly throughout the nineties chasing shadows. Now, it is evident that he his not purely a poacher, not purely a wide forward, not purely a creator but a puzzle; one that a less experienced Frank Lampard is still trying to solve.

Lethargic would be a nice way to put it. Laggard, hesitancy and mild character would be a more accurate description of Kai Havertz style of play at Chelsea. A naturally endowed midfielder — even after spending 3 months aclamatizing to the system in England — has failed to showcase the qualities embedded in him as his awful performances so far have aroused criticism regarding his prospect at Chelsea.

Despite being gifted sufficient game time under Frank Lampard, his sluggish movement of the ball in attack, his lack of pressing ability in the central area, his frequent dispossession of the ball all amounts to the reason he barely make an impact in games in a Blue shirt. No surprise he has recorded just a goal and 2 assists in 819 minutes played in the ongoing premier league season.

However, there is no gain saying the fact that Chelsea’s Boss — in a bid to unleash the potentials and build his team around the German duo — have offered them plenty of game time, only for it to yield minimal outcome. Now, the resultant effect of Frank Lampard’s action has placed him in a state of uncertainty concerning his future at the club as Chelsea sit on the 9th spot in the standings with 26 points out of a possible (51) points. Thus, restructuring the tactics in operation is core in order to ensure positivity all round the Chelsea team.