Thomas Tuchel suggests 'unlimited talent' Kai Havertz could ignite his Chelsea career as a false nine
Thomas Tuchel has suggested he could trial Kai Havertz as a false nine before the end of the season and has claimed the German international has “unlimited talent”.
Havertz has struggled to make an impact in the Premier League since joining Chelsea for an initial £62million from Bayer Leverkusen last summer and injury has prevented him making a mark under new head coach Tuchel as yet.
Having now returned from injury and made an appearance as a substitute against Atletico Madrid in midweek, Havertz will be hoping to get the chance to impress but may have to again settle for a place on the bench for Sunday’s visit of Manchester United.
But Tuchel insists he has no doubts over Havertz and, in outlining his attributes, hinted that the 21-year-old could get the opportunity in an advanced role at some stage. “He is a unique player,” said Tuchel. “It’s not so clear where he needs to settle, does he need to settle on one special position? Or is he kind of a hybrid player? Today, I would say he’s in between a nine and a 10, something in between.
“He’s very comfortable in the box, he’s very comfortable in high positions, he’s very good in offensive headers, he has good timing to arrive in the box, good finishing, good composure in the box, around the box, so between nine and 10.”
Havertz scored 29 Bundesliga goals in his last two seasons for Leverkusen, but has only netted once in 18 Premier League appearances so far for Chelsea.
Asked why Havertz has not yet made more of an impact at Stamford Bridge, Tuchel replied: “For me, it’s easy to explain. Since I arrived, the only thing that kept him from making a big impact is his injury, nothing else.
“I see a committed guy, I see a guy who made a brave decision to move abroad at a young age and to go out of his comfort zone and accept a big challenge in a big team, in the biggest league. I see a totally clear guy who is totally aware of that, full of talent, unlimited talent and I see a player who will have a big impact in Chelsea.
“I’m absolutely convinced because the mix gives me that feeling that he can have a big role in this club and he is absolutely determined to fulfill his role. We will find this role and now we need to give him the time it takes. But he is ready, we are very happy he is back in the squad and he will lift our offensive potential there is no doubt.”
Tuchel is particularly familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of Sunday’s opponents United, having faced them twice, home and away, in each of the past two years when he was in charge at Paris Saint-Germain.
And Tuchel counts United’s 2019 Champions League victory over PSG, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team won 3-1 in France to reach the quarter-finals, as one of the darkest days of his coaching career.
“I can be very honest, after that match I was two days in a very dark place and I can tell you I was not able to speak to anybody and to think about anything else than this defeat,” said Tuchel. “That may be the worst defeat that I experienced because it came from nowhere.
“Am I a good loser? So, so. Maybe not so much, but show me a good loser at this level and winning drives us. Winning drives this club and winning drives this dressing room. So we are all competitors and we are all out there to win and this is the challenge. Everything else in the first moment is hard to accept. Sometimes easier, sometimes worse.”
Chelsea could move three points behind second-placed United with a victory and Tuchel said: “There are still many, many games to play, but it can be a huge step and we don't have to talk around it - if you lose against a direct opponent that we are hunting in the moment with six points ahead of us, you absolutely don't want to lose.
“This is clear because it opens the gap that it's maybe impossible to reach them. But there are still a lot of games to play and, even if we win it, it will not be decisive.”
