Frank Lampard admits he had ‘coaching problems’ with Arsenal ace Kai Havertz

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Former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has admitted that he struggled to coach Arsenal new boy Kai Havertz.

Since Arsenal paid £65 million to sign Kai Havertz in the recent summer transfer window, Mikel Arteta has been trying to integrate the player into his team in a midfield role.

Whilst there have been flashes of his quality on display, Havertz has so far struggled to produce his best form for the north London club. The 24-year-old is clearly short on confidence, and doesn’t look to have yet fully gotten to grips with his new position.

Havertz has all of the attributes required to thrive in the tactical role he has been handed by Arteta. The 6’4” German has the physicality and energy levels needed to help Arsenal press and defend from the front, the technical ability to involve himself in build up play, and the attacking instincts to crash into the box and offer an extra goal threat.

However, tying all of these aspects of his game together into cohesive and consistent performances has been a struggle for the £280,000-a-week star so far. He faced a similar problem in his three season spell at Chelsea.

Kai Havertz still an enigma

Havertz was primarily used as a striker at Stamford Bridge, but again, that never felt like a totally natural fit for the 39-cap Germany international.

Frank Lampard, who coached Havertz for a time when he was with the Blues, has reflected on his own experiences of trying to coax the best out of the player. 

Speaking on Monday Night Football, the former Chelsea boss said, “when we brought players in I had different problems – coaching problems…Kai Havertz, what’s his best position?”

Arteta clearly backs himself to succeed where Lampard failed in terms of unlocking Havertz’s full potential. The Spanish coach certainly needs to triumph in this regard, given how heavily the north London club have invested in the player.