Eden Hazard

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

Eden reaches double digits and scored his tenth of the season today, at the half way mark. He might just reach 20 if he stays injury free, especially considering he usually performs better in the second half of the season. People on here complaining he should score more, but he's on track to maybe score 20 and we can't really ask more from an AM right?

Our best man today, again. Him and Fabregas were great today. Matic had a rare off-day, but I can easily forgive him.

Considering alternate premier league, this was a par 1 game and we got that one point. City played a par 3 game and drew!

He can score more though. He is our pen taker and though it doesn't matter how you get them, he needs to score more from open play. Still, all throughout December he's been fantastic so no point in bringing that up.

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

The fact people genuinely judge a winger through goals is mind blowing.

Give it ten years fill backs will getting judged on goals.

Its the standard set out by Messi and Ronaldo. Hazard is more like Robben, Zidane, Ribery if you ask me.

[Barbara 15,149]

(1) If you read my post again, I never said it did. I was only comparing the value of some assists and if anything, the example I cited should be called a Pre-assist.

(2) This is a very good point, Barbara, but can't you see how the same also holds true for actual assists? Remy scored and the assist was credited to Oscar but the person who did the dirty work of carrying the ball from midfield and unsettling Swansea's backline was Hazard. I remember something similar with Oscar and Ivanovic for a Costa goal vs Leicester.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuJeyx9XSzM

Ok, Brana did a nice cut-back but that goal was "created" by Oscar. If anything, it shows how underrated some "pre-assists" are in football.

This article does a very good job of explaining the value of created chances over an assist and how created chances are reflective of the actual best playmakers in the league. Look, Gerrard had 13 assists in the PL last season but 11 of them came from set pieces. Hazard on the other hand created 92 chances for his team and only had 7 assists. It's silly. Or Ricky Lambert having more assists than Eriksen, Silva and Hazard. Yeah, right.

https://www.bsports.com/extratime/premier-league-2013-14-creativity-gerrard-hazard-nasri-silva#.VKQg4CvF-Sp

And comparing Hazard to himself in his first two seasons here, the assist stat suggests he was more creative in his first season here, but it fails to take into account such things as style of play and the fact Hazard could play off Juan Mata.

http://www.squawka.com/comparison-matrix#premier_league/2013/2014/eden_hazard/126/64/454/0/p|premier_league/2012/2013/eden_hazard/126/2/454/0/p#chances_created/key_passes/assists#avg

No, I was just checking if you meant the chances created stat as we have today, or what would in fact be a chance created.

You hit the nail of the problem for me regarding those stats. I don't have a problem with 90% of the assists around, I think most of them should be considered assists, given credit to the player that did the pass, no matter how easy or hard it was to complete it. So I think if most cases the assist left someone near to score and a clear cut chance, it counts.

But the chances created stat should have been the most important and more telling in the sport, but as it's made by a metric that defines that whoever passes the ball before someone takes a shot, creates a chance, it loses most of its credibility.

For example, I have no doubts Hazard is the player that created more goals chances in the league (even if I haven't watched much of many others) because he creates space, he passes by opponents, he creates something out of nowhere, he links up with others, etc etc etc. There should have a way to measure THAT not the nonsense of whoever passes before a shot.

But as there isn't, we should stick to watch we see week in, week out and that's how he brought his game to a whole new level and is bailing us out of the jail in the attack. Regardless if he scored or assisted, regardless if the play he created ended up in a goal or not. He's been our outlet, alongside Cesc, the guy that makes things happen for us. That's why I consider him our best player so far.

So at the end of the day, I agree with you about who creates the whole play, not only the last pass, I'm just not as just dismissive of the assists stat as I guess you are - because like sitters - we've seen players missing the easiest pass - some even very often (cough Torres cough), so I think there's merit for whoever leaves the other in front of the goal, no matter how easy to execute the pass.

[iseah100 5,612]

Posts too long, don't read. I'm sure they are compelling though.

[Madmax 9,219]

I don't want to fucking read another word here for a couple of months about what this guy needs to do and how he needs to get better. People said he needs to be more direct, he's bloody unplayable and no defender can live with him. People said he doesn't shoot often, he's shooting fucking alright I'd say. Then you wanted him to score away from home ... yeah, you know the score. He's ran his bollocks off today; I think I've lost mine whacking it to him.

[LukakutoStamford 779]

I don't want to fucking read another word here for a couple of months about what this guy needs to do and how he needs to get better. People said he needs to be more direct, he's bloody unplayable and no defender can love with him. People said he doesn't shoot often, he's shooting fucking alright I'd say. Then you wanted him to score away from home ... yeah, you know the score. He's ran his bollocks off today; I think I've lost mine whacking it to him.

What Hazard needs to do is get better ..... teammates.

[LukakutoStamford 779]

I don't want to fucking read another word here for a couple of months about what this guy needs to do and how he needs to get better. People said he needs to be more direct, he's bloody unplayable and no defender can love with him. People said he doesn't shoot often, he's shooting fucking alright I'd say. Then you wanted him to score away from home ... yeah, you know the score. He's ran his bollocks off today; I think I've lost mine whacking it to him.

What Hazard needs to do is get better ..... teammates.

[Milan 17,853]

Feel very sorry for him today. He really tried but his team mates let him down and alone big time.

[Beigl 1,387]

I`m so proud to have him here. He kept running and fighting until the end. Best player in the league.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Fucking quality. Wow.

[Gilvorak 3,734]

He'll leave in the summer imo. Far too good for the Premier League and playing under Ancelotti/Guardiola will raise his game to a whole 'nother level. Today was like a flashback to the 2nd half of last season.

He's carried us since December.

[DYC. 7,542]

Unbreakable, unmistakable, highly capable.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. This guy is in the top 10. And he plays for Chelsea. When was the last time we saw that? Enjoy.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

He's clearly the best player in the premier league and one of the top 5 in world football. The only player that can compete with him quality wise in the league is Aguero.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

He'll leave in the summer imo. Far too good for the Premier League and playing under Ancelotti/Guardiola will raise his game to a whole 'nother level. Today was like a flashback to the 2nd half of last season.

He's carried us since December.

Maybe that's why the contract hasn't been signed. Who knows. The temptation to play in an easier league with less defensive responsibility and more limelight. If Hazard was doing what he's doing for us with Madrid or Barcelona, people will be talking about him as the 3rd best player in the world. That's just a fact.

[yuvala 2,167]

Wow.

Unplayable.

[MrBlueGuy 1,552]

Slowly becoming a 1 man team now, us that is. If this guy leaves in the summer I am now starting to feel genuinely worried, even Reus won't be enough. Probably need Reus+Bale to fill the gap.

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

Mister Fantastic.

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,919]

My worry is that he will grow here, as he has, and then move elsewhere for the glory the way Ronaldo did.

The people he playing with, in the front, are not good enough. He wouldnt want to waste his prime playing next to Oscar and Willian. Or even spending all his energy running back at full speed to make sure his back has cover. He does not have to do this if he does not want.