Kai Havertz signing will provide Arteta with 6 tactical options

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A few people have scratched their head when it comes to the impending signing of Kai Havertz. But his acquisition will allow Mikel Arteta to make tactical and personel changes that were not avaialble to him last season.

Havertz gives Arteta 6 different options as to how we set up:

When we are looking to attack

Kai Havertz gives us the option to play with a more attacking side. By planning him in tandem with Odegaard, we have more creativity in both “8” positions. This gives us more attacking balance.

Expect this formation to be used when we are chasing a game, or when we are playing against a team that will employ a low block and not look to attack us.

Havertz with his passing range, touch and ability to ghost in the box will give us an attacking threat we did not have with Granit Xhaka.

When are looking defend

When we play tougher teams such as Manchester City, Newcastle or away in the Champions League, we may well look to play a little more defensive. This will probably see Havertz dropped to the bench.

Playing Declan Rice further forward (if he signs), gives us a bit more of a solid side defensively. I would expect Rice to play a little less advanced, providing more physicality in the middle alongside Thomas Partey (or Romeo Lavia if the deals happen).

And then if we are chasing a game? You bring on Havertz and play Rice deeper.

The acquisitions of both Rice and Havertz allows us to go more attacking or more defensive than we did when we had Xhaka.

When Gabriel Jesus is out injured / rested

Whilst Havertz’s natural position (for me anyone) is that deeper position on the left hand central side, he has also shown he is a decent focal point upfront.

He is by no means a clinical striker. But as Thierry Henry pointed out, he can play a simialr role to Robin van Persie.

Playing with his back to goal, he can be more of a link up man bringing Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Odegaard into play.

van Persie did this with great effect, linking up with the likes of Theo Walcott, Samir Nasri, Andrei Arshavin and Cesc Fabregas.

Havertz gives Mikel Arteta an alternative option in comparison to Eddie Nketiah. Changing the attacking shape with a false 9 rather than having someone run the channels.

When Bukayo Saka is injured / rested

I expect Leandro Trossard to be the first choice replacement for both Saka and Martinelli. But Havertz is also an option on the right hand side.

Left footed, Havertz can replicate what Saka does when he drops inside onto his stronger foot.

When Bukayo Saka is injured / rested (Jesus out wide)

There is also an option to play Jesus outwide and Havertz down the middle if Saka is out.

As described above, Havertz could be great at bringing others into play. And I always feel Jesus is best playing off someone rather than leading the line himself.

Havertz down the middle and Jesus on the right (or vice versa) will allow Arteta the chance to give Saka a rest.

When Martin Odegaard is out injured / rested

Finally, Havertz is a better option than Fabio Vieira if Odegaard is out. I do not think this line up has been discussed enough.

Vieira has not really settled into the Premier League yet. He has great technique but looks weak and lacks confidence. I think there is a player there, but Havertz is simply superior.

Odegaard out injured or rotated? Havertz has to play (unless his versatility is being utilised elsewhere.

Keenos

Manchester City fans plan Community Shield boycott

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Manchester City supporter group WeAre1894 have called on City fans to boycott the Community Shield match against Arsenal on August 6th over scheduling. The have instead asked fans to donate to the MCFC Fans Foodbank other local causes.

Now firstly get the banter out of your system.

“Oh, they never feel their end anyway”
“Did they boycott the FA Cup final as well?”
And other snide comments….

All of the issues highlighted by WeAre1894 affect every match going fan, and as a result anyone that travels up and down the conutry should be commending, not mocking, their stance.

I have lost count how often throughout the season games as scheduled without taking into account match going fans.

Games as scheduled at times when there is no return travel, leaving fans with either having to drive or having to pay for hefty hotel bills.

We live in a world where “sustainability” is at the forefront of almost every companies Enviromental policy. And I include Sky and BT in that.

Yet they make a mockery of their “Sky Ocean” and other environmental awareness initiatives when they pick a game for a late evening on a Sunday with no trains home, forcing fans to drive.

Trains are the most sustainable method of long-term travel. If Sky et al really wanted to promote themselves as caring for the environment, they would factor in train travel to their decision making on when games are scheduled.

Likewise, asking fans of Newcastle to travel to Brighton on a Monday night, or Bournemouth fans to travel to Liverpool for a 4pm Sunday kick off. It is just wrong.

These decisions show that Sky (or BT) do not care for match going fans. That all the fuss they made about the European Super League was only because they were not invited to the table. Gary Neville and others attempted to make themselves the voice of the match going fans. But actions speak louder than words.

And then we have last minute changes, where fans may have already paid for trains, planes and hotels. Sky, the Premier League and other stakeholders do not consider the fans when changing the timing of a game a week before it is supposed to take place.

So mock Manchester City fans for all you want, but what they say is correct,.

It’s time match-going fans were treated as a priority rather than an afterthought.

Football is not a TV show. And I imagine most of those fans mocking City do not go hiome and away.

The same sort of fans that criticise City for having empty seats, whilst watching a game on an illegal stream. The same sort of fans who then show themselves up ashypocritical by posting “where we were you when you were shit” when City do sell out.

City sold out a near 35,000 seater stadium whilst in the 3rd tier of English football. They have a great core fan base. One which has been through a lot prior to winning the Arab lottery.

This is not about the global fanbase. Those that treat football like a TV show. This is about a local fanbase, the match goiong fans, looking at match times and transport.

If you mock City for their boycott, do not complaing when Arsenal games are moved.

There have a lot of things that we can criticise City for – the 115 financial charges the main one. But like with away ticket prices, sometimes we need to put club rivalry and banter aside and stand together as one.

The stand being taken by WeAre1894 and other Manchester City groups and fans is commendable.

Keenos

Is Kai Havertz the versatile attacker Arsenal need?

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Kai Havertz is a player I have always liked.

I have followed his career since his breakthrough season in 2018 when he scored 17 league goals for Bayer Leverkusen from midfield as a 19-year-old.

Havertz was top of my list in 2020 we were looking to replace Mesut Ozil, and I would be lying if I said I was not jealous that he joined Chelsea. Although I did understand that we did not have the finances to splash ~£70million on him at the time.

After 3-years in England, Havertz has not kicked on as many would have expected.

Now 24-years-old, he has yet to really show his Leverkusen form in the Premier League. Although he has a Champions League winning goal to his name.

But Havertz’s stagnation is not entirely his fault.

The German was signed under the regime of that brilliant manager Frank Lampard.

Following Lampard’s departure, he played under Thomas Tuchel, and playing under a proper manager saw him have his best spell at Chelsea scoring 14 goals in all competitions as well as THAT Champions League final winning goal.

This season he became embroiled in the chaos at Stamford Bridge. From Tuchel to Graham Potter and onto Frank Lampard (again).

Chelsea won just once during Lampard’s hilarious 2nd tenure at the club, scoring just 9 goals in 11 games. You could have put a prime Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo in that Lampard time and it would not have changed the results.

Not only has Havertz had to contend with managerial change after managerial change and the tactical changes that comes with it, he has constantly found himself playing in different positions.

He has gone from playing behind a striker, to playing outwide, to playing as a false centre forward, then as an out and out forward, and everything else in between.

It was only in 2021/22 under Tuchel that he got a single run in a single position – playing upfront he scored 11 goals in 26 games.

Thierry Henry recently compared Havertz to Robin van Persie.

I would never really consider Havertz as an out and out striker. I always felt that his best position was in and behind the striker. Playing in that Lampard / Aaron Ramsey position which enables him to drift into the box and be a goal threat from deep.

At Arsenal, I would see him as a great option in the 8, replacing Granit Xhaka. Havertz would provide more attacking balance to that central-left-hand-side and would compliment Martin Odegaard.

Henry’s point about van Persie is really interesting.

“He reminds me sometimes, a little, of Robin back to goal the way he can hold the ball,” Henry told CBS Sports.

“Robin van Persie was very good with his left foot, the touch was always immaculate and he tried to bring people along.

“This is why out of the guys that used to be wingers or No.10 he plays as a nine because with his back to goal he can hold the ball well. Now he needs to make sure he can transform that into more goals because you can play off him.”

It will be interesting to see if Mikel Arteta sees Havertz as an attacking midfield option, or as something a bit different to Gabriel Jesus.

Jesus likes to run in behind, and works the channels. Havertz upfront, meanwhile, is more like van Persie (as Henry states). He will play with his back to goal and look to bring others into play.

He might not be the “proper goalscorer” some are demanding, but we do not really need a proper goalscorer.

We scored 88 league goals last season – the most in our history. Our strength is not that we have one single goalscorer, but we have goals acrossing the attacking frontline.

Signing an out and out striker might see an increase in the goals scored by a single man, but will see the goals spread out amongst the rest of the team drop as a result.

Havertz has also played over 50 games on the flanks.

With his versatility, he then gives Arteta the option of playing himself on the right, or shifting Jesus to the wing if we need to cover Saka.

What is interesting is that I think Havertz versatility is a bonus when signing him. But it is that versatility that has seen him shunted around into various positions by inept Chelsea managers.

The key is to have Havertz have a single position where he establishes himself in, and then his versatile allows him to cover other positions where required.

Personally, I would like to see him playing week in, week out where Xhaka plays. And then if Jesus or Saka are out injured, he could be shifted up top or out wide.

I feel a comparison with Emile Smith Rowe is most appropriate at this time.

Smith Rowe has played both outwide and inside throughout his career, and some feel he could also do a job down the middle as a false 9.

Havertz is only 1-year older than Smith Rowe and is the vastly superior player.

Upgrading from Smtih Rowe to Havertz would be huge. Likewise I would be happy Havertz being 1st choice and then Smith Rowe providing further back-up.

So on the occasion that Havertz replaces Jesus down the middle, Smith Rowe comes in for Havertz in the 8, and so on.

Versatility is key under Arteta. He plays a version of total football upfront. He wants players to be comfortable on the ball regardless of where on the pitch they are. And Havertz is certainly that.

£60million does feel expensive considering his struggles in the Premier League. And I do find the comparison to Dele Alli interesting (loads of goals as a teenager and then went off the boil). But I do not think Havertz has the motivation problems Alli had.

A move to a new club, a manager that cares about players individual development, and a consistency in playing time and position. Havertz could really shine at Arsenal.

Now we just need to get the deal done (writing this on Sunday 18/06 witht he plan to release it non 20/06. So who knows, the deal might progress over the next 48 hours).

Enjoy your Tuesday.

Keenos