Eden Hazard

[iseah100 5,612]

Fabregas and Costa are great players but i really think you're vastly underestimating Hazard's impact on the team. Take Hazard out of the team and you're going to see a big drop, performance wise.

Fabregas is an excellent passer of the ball but he's not fast nor a good dribbler making him easy to press and not allowing him to turn and orchestrate our attacks.

Costa is an awesome striker. He offers us some well needed grinta upfront but at the end of the day a striker is only as good as the support he gets.

It's funny how you belittle Hazard but it's usually Hazard's driving runs that give Fabregas the time and space to work his magic.(best example Burnley away, Schurlle goal)

Hell sometimes it's even just the fear of him cutting inside that takes all the attention leaving Fabregas to make the overlapping run and be left in acres of space.

I don't really understand why you find it so ridiculous and hard to believe that some people consider Hazard to still be our best player.

It's very much down to peoples opinion and how they rate certain qualities against other qualities. All three offer something different. Fabregas: incisive passing, Costa: physicality, finishing, Hazard : penetrating runs.

All three have a positive effect on eachother as their abilities "enhance" one another.

Imo i think Hazard is still our best player. For 1 very simple reason really. When sh*t hits the fan i'm looking at Hazard to get us out of it and honestly i could be wrong about this but i think the majority of the Chelsea fans do too.

When it comes down to those 3 i consider Hazard to be the one most capable of creating something out of nothing. Costa might get the goals. Fabregas might get the assists but more often then not it's gonna be Hazard that creates the spark that leads to the goal.

Top top top top top post! Could not be better stated.

[Daniel1980 1,425]

Eden is not the fifth most important player in our team. That's ridiculous.

I think instead of pointlessly trying to determine who is the best and most important player in our team--it's going to be a matter of opinion anyway--we all should be just glad that it is a matter of opinion this season. Last season most could say with certainty that Hazard was our most important player, and it was very bad that we had no more attacking threats. It's a very good thing for our team that this season there's no such certainty--not for us, and not for other teams. Isolating one player is always much easier than isolating three and it makes our lads' life easier. Costa and Fabregas benefit a lot from the opposition's having to mark Hazard, and Hazard benefits a lot from the opposition having to mark Costa and Fabregas. It's a win-win for them all. I'm glad things are the way they are. The best thing is, Eden, Cesc and Diego linkup with each other well. People talk a lot about Cesc and Costa's connection, about how they seek out each other, but I'm actually more impressed with Eden and Cesc's developing connection. I've seen the stats that Cesc<-->Eden is the most frequent pass combination in our attack, even more frequent than Cesc-->Costa. It's still very early in the season. In a few months, it should get even better.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Best player is the guy who shines the brightest in the big matches. Too small a sample size of games to determine who that is... Hazard is without question our most talented performer and also our most naturally gifted. He needs to show more killer instinct overall no big deal.

[Barbara 15,149]

You take one of them away - any - and it'll impact us negatively.

Willian despite having similar dribbling abilities to Hazard (although Hazard is better by a fair lead) has even a worse decision making than Hazard does. Hazard is improving on that, and he'll start shooting more and be even better.

We don't have a player in the squad that can be as creative as Cesc in terms of pass. Oscar - when at the top of his form, as well as Matic when inspired can make it, but they don't make it often enough and they don't have such a good vision.

Rèmy is probably a great striker (haven't seen enough of him), but I'm convinced Costa is very much one of kind because he offers a lot of things and has an attitude that makes him all that much better. He leads the team.

So if we miss any of them for one reason or the other, we'll feel the negative impact. I also believe we don't have a Matic replacement in the team, but to keep this conversation only about the attack, those three compliment and complement each other in a great way, they offer three completely different things, and our attack has been this successful because now we have all the pieces we needed. Hazard's impact was limited last season because he didn't have someone to link up with him or a striker that had a good understanding with him as well as good enough to keep capitalizing the chances he created. Now he has a favorable scenario for him to flourish even more. Not only he has players that will capitalize what he creates, but he also has players that will take some of the pressure off of him and that will share the burden. He was overloaded last season, which is why imo he wasn't able to lead us to win a title. We were asking too much from him, especially given his age. We didn't offer him the conditions for him to be as important as he's been this season.

Now he has players by his side as well as ahead of him. He has more freedom because there aren't 2-3 or even 4 opponents in charge of stopping him. If they try to stop him with numbers, they're leaving space for Costa, Cesc and others, so he either has more space and freedom or he gives the team more space and freedom. If the officiating is fair, he'll start dragging red cards too because we saw City stopping us with fouls - some that Dean called, some he didn't - and as someone suggested he can even lead us to have more penalties called or even free kicks in dangerous areas. In Cesc we have a set-piece specialist and in their days Oscar and Schurrle can also do something about it.

At the end of the day Hazard the three of them make the other look better. I believe we could cope with a match without one of them against most opponents, but they're vital for our success. We don't need to pick one player to be the most important when the reality is the three of them work together as a team. If Cesc doesn't have a good striker ahead of him, his clear chances created won't be converted into assists. If Hazard doesn't have someone to link up he can't be as creative as he is capable of, if Costa doesn't have Cesc or Hazard giving him the balls when he's positioning himself at the right spot to score, he won't get enough service. Last season to stop our attack all the opposition had to do was neutralize Hazard normally with a lot of players deployed to mark him. this season they have to stop three players... which gives more space and chances for the other AMs for Ramires or Matic to come from the midfield with a long distance shot, etc...

What I'm saying in addition to that is that Chelsea have a good chance of having three players at the poll to decide the player of the season and end up with a top2 or even top3 because not only they're great, but they make each other look even better.

[Myself 793]

What do you mean by cope? Two of those guys you listed just joined us this season, I don't know how we coped last few years without them then. Matic just joined us this year so I don't know how we coped without him in the first half of last season and all the way to CL semis.

I'm not saying you can't make an argument for any of those players, but to definitively state that Hazard is our fifth most important player doesn't make sense to me.

Cope was the wrong word. What I meant was that if you took any of the 4 away from us, taking away Hazard would have the least effect (I'm not underestimating the importance of Hazard, he's definitely an important player for us).

Before Matic joined, we barely managed in the midfield battle against the top 4 (remember Arsenal, Man City 2-1,, Liverpool to an extent).

As Barbara said above, taking any 4 of them away would have a negative effect

[dee25 1,044]

Eden is not the fifth most important player in our team. That's ridiculous.

I think instead of pointlessly trying to determine who is the best and most important player in our team--it's going to be a matter of opinion anyway--we all should be just glad that it is a matter of opinion this season. Last season most could say with certainty that Hazard was our most important player, and it was very bad that we had no more attacking threats. It's a very good thing for our team that this season there's no such certainty--not for us, and not for other teams. Isolating one player is always much easier than isolating three and it makes our lads' life easier. Costa and Fabregas benefit a lot from the opposition's having to mark Hazard, and Hazard benefits a lot from the opposition having to mark Costa and Fabregas. It's a win-win for them all. I'm glad things are the way they are. The best thing is, Eden, Cesc and Diego linkup with each other well. People talk a lot about Cesc and Costa's connection, about how they seek out each other, but I'm actually more impressed with Eden and Cesc's developing connection. I've seen the stats that Cesc<-->Eden is the most frequent pass combination in our attack, even more frequent than Cesc-->Costa. It's still very early in the season. In a few months, it should get even better.

Hang on. Since when is it pointless to comparatively quantify player's importance to a team? Football fandom is built on rating players. That’s why we select a man of the match after every game, something I’m sure you yourself have done on countless occasions. So in the same way you see no problem in identifying who the standout player of a match was, why then would it be pointless for one to argue that Hazard's impact in our games has exceeded that of the others? Is it debatable? Hell yeah. Pointless? Sorry, not having any of that.

We can preach about how the trio of Cesc, Costa and Hazard (I would add Iva to that list as well) should be equally praised, and how it’s about the team and the collective but once the season nears to a close, we’ll all flock to cast our votes on who has been the best Chelsea player and I’m pretty sure that you Daniel, will be among the voters. Will you still be arguing then that " it's pointless trying to determine who is the best and most important player in our team"?

[Daniel1980 1,425]

Hang on. Since when is it pointless to comparatively quantify player's importance to a team? Football fandom is built on rating players. That’s why we select a man of the match after every game, something I’m sure you yourself have done on countless occasions. So in the same way you see no problem in identifying who the standout player of a match was, why then would it be pointless for one to argue that Hazard's impact in our games has exceeded that of the others? Is it debatable? Hell yeah. Pointless? Sorry, not having any of that.

We can preach about how the trio of Cesc, Costa and Hazard (I would add Iva to that list as well) should be equally praised, and how it’s about the team and the collective but once the season nears to a close, we’ll all flock to cast our votes on who has been the best Chelsea player and I’m pretty sure that you Daniel, will be among the voters. Will you still be arguing then that " it's pointless trying to determine who is the best and most important player in our team"?

It's different. Picking a MOTM in a single match is easier since we're talking about a single match. To determine the relative importance of players over the season is much harder, and the sample is too small. So far, I can go as far as say that the trio of Eden, Cesc and Costa were our most influential players. All of them influenced the results in their own way and judging who is more important is not only very hard, but next to impossible, since they all influenced each other. That's why I think it's pointless and leads only to bickering. And frankly, I couldn't care less who of them scores, assists or stretches defences. They all do their part, and to determine whether Hazard's dribbles were more important or Cesc's passes were more important or Costa's finishing was more important is next to impossible and would be just a matter of opinion.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Think Hazard is our best player, but atm Costa and Cesc are more important due to goals scored and assists made.

But Hazard helps all this happen in attack, he is very important too.

[mikeholiday 209]

Any update on his extension? Some rumblings before the city game. Havent heard any since.

[LukakutoStamford 779]

No, he's just our fifth most important player. Without Hazard we could still cope, but with Matic/Fabregas/Costa we wouldn't be able to

Yikes, I forgot that soccer was 1 v 11 game. No one can tell you how important Hazard is to the framework of this team, but Cesc and Diego wouldn't have had as many opportunities without Eden running rampage down the left flank. Hazard demands double teams at all times and as I mentioned there are times when there are 4 guys within 8 yards of him.

[Tomo 21,681]

Sorry dude he isn't our best player anymore. When mata was in great form and our best player for two seasons we won trophies. Hazard lead us to third but thanks more largely to our defense.

Some People say he is our best player but what is he really best at(dribbling?) Or may be chance creation but fabregas is our best passer of the ball and an assist master but also the new brain of our team so how is hazard better? Costa is another who for me personally is our best player because he is what you call an impact player(always there when you need him),he is a winner despite his young age and our saviour in terms of finishing. Matic is also outstanding with a curious talent of winning second balls and despossessing opponents seemlessly in addition to being proficient in building attacks or counter attacks. Please Hazard isn't our best player IMO he might be our best dribbler therefore in that sense our most skillful or exciting player but not our best player. We now have players I feel have greater impact on our team giving us great precision in attack and defensive solidity and who have more experince in big games and winning major trophies, I am afraid hazard lacks a bit for now to be the best player in our new team.

Mata was the best player for a year and a half, as soon as Eden returned from his ball boy ban he overtook him.

Furthermore Mata hardly 'led' us to the FA Cup and CL, did he?

[Shakez 755]

Who is better is the wrong question imo. Tbh, Hazard is probably our most "talented" player. Matic, Fabregas, Costa are more necessary for our "sytem".

[Gilvorak 3,734]

Best player is between Hazard and Fabregas. Costa and Matic are a level below both.

[Daniel1980 1,425]

Who is better is the wrong question imo. Tbh, Hazard is probably our most "talented" player. Matic, Fabregas, Costa are more necessary for our "sytem".

Yeah, Hazard is our most exciting and technically skilled player for sure. I think few would argue that.

[Shakez 755]

I think yesterday's game was another example where it showed he's not essential for the system we play. Mourinho wasn't happy at all with his performance, when questioned about if he used the subs to rest certain players he answered "it was only in regard towards Costa, the other subs where made to make the team better". It was a while ago that i saw Hazard getting subbed that early.

[Polo7 3,496]

Didnt have a good game at all yesterday. Luckily for us the rest of the team stepped up. Come on Hazard, we need some consistency from you.

[kellzfresh 7,226]

Last season we would have lost that game when Hazard doesn't turn up(he had only 1 dribble) Thank goodness we can cope once in a while without him giving motm performances

[Gilvorak 3,734]

Mario Götze: 9 games, 5 goals.

Neymar: 6 games, 6 goals.

Gareth Bale: 10 games, 5 goals.

Raheem Sterling: 8 games, 3 goals

James Rodriguez: 10 games, 3 goals

Oscar: 6 games, 2 goals.

Eden Hazard: 8 games, 1 goal. LOL