Eden Hazard

[DYC. 7,542]

The Eden we see at the Bridge these days is FAR from the Eden I have known playing in the last couple of years. Sure there still is that spark of brilliance sometimes when he gets the ball... but far away is the gamewinner he was in 3 out of 4 games at Lille.

Easy to spot why:

• he plays in favor of the team before thinking about himself
  
• he has the fulfill a far bigger defensive role here
  
• with his fellow maestro's up front... he now has 1/3 of the space he had at Lille + 1/3 of the freedom
  
• unfortunately Eden stays stucked to the sideline to often IMO. However I'm pretty sure this has to do with tasks by RDM and not by a change in play
  
• because of the serious amount of defensive work he has to fulfill every week... I'm pretty sure he lacks this energy for explosiveness in attack
  

So what to think?

Sure he still is a genius player with amazing abilities and a brilliance technique. He eventually brings in a few key passes & dribbles every game. But is this what to expect from Eden at Chelsea??? I must say, knowing him quite well, I really feel mesmerized to see his difference in approach wearing a blue shirt, comparing to the red shirt of last year.

You really could see it looks like he is afraid to make the action. He slows down the game (luckily to speed it up soon afterwards with a good pass most of the time) and has barely come in shootings positions or being dangerous in front of goal.

The first game with the 3 maestro's was brilliant. But I remember before that, that the link up play between Hazard & Mata was even more impressive. With a more important role for Eden and him being far more decisive than he is now. Maybe RDM should choose to start only with 2 of his 3 maestro's instead of bringing them all. You feel like they are really searching each other far too often (especially Eden & Mata) which sometimes give the impression that every attack has to go through all 3 stations => slowing down everything.

The brilliance of Eden I must confess until this far I haven't seen in a Chelsea shirt (sure some sparks, but really not what he's able to). Maybe it's just the time he needs to adapt at the premier league... but still... he has the potential to dribble any of those defenders at any time, still not doing it at the moment. Maybe RDM expects him not to take as many risks? Or maybe he just doesn't feel comfortable enough to force things on his own... Let's hope this will soon change and Eden will start to play at the level I'm just to see him play on.

All this doubts aside... Hazard has still been very important for us. And even without shining as he should be... He's still an amazing player! This only shows the potential he still has! Believe me fellow Chelsea fans... Once the real Eden has landed to the bridge, a lot of you guys will even love him more !!

There is a huge difference in being The star player of the team and being one of the better players of the team. It's something which most of the time is ignored. In the former, you are searched for constantly, the tactics are revolved around you and in most cases, the players work for you. But in the latter, you have to share the spotlight. It's why when I hear/read 'imagine if Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were in the same team, they'd be unstoppable!' I always think, as if they would both reach the same level they're playing at now.

And of course Hazard is playing at a higher level, also a lot more to handle physically (high tempo matches, busy schedule). Ligue 1 can't be compared to PL football. Hazard ripped the league apart but never shone in Europe (or for his country). So him doing the same things for Chelsea as he did for Lille in the league was highly unlikely. Plus this Chelsea team is still in transition, getting used to new tactics, aren't really 'team' yet and still need a few additions before fully functioning. This is nothing yet, this new team that is being built can do so much better.

He'll need time, not everyone can be like Messi and perform at a world-class level at a very young age. But Hazard's a fantastic talent, already a very good player at such a young age. The expectations seem to be extremely high but I for one think he's doing a great job already. He's put in some top performances and even when he's not great, he still adds plenty to the team. Such a danger every time he's on the ball, and the opposition knows it, as he's a pacey player who can beat a man or pick out a pass. And he draws so many fouls which is a huge asset to us as our team's a serious threat from set-pieces.

I can only criticize his shooting, he'll have to work at it. But with his talent, it shouldn't be any problem. When he takes care of that, he'll have that triple threat (dribble, pass, shoot) on the ball only few in world football possess.

Hazard will make it to the top, no doubt about it.

[Belgiannutt 3,201]

He'll need time, not everyone can be like Messi and perform at a world-class level at a very young age. But Hazard's a fantastic talent, already a very good player at such a young age. The expectations seem to be extremely high but I for one think he's doing a great job already. He's put in some top performances and even when he's not great, he still adds plenty to the team. Such a danger every time he's on the ball, and the opposition knows it, as he's a pacey player who can beat a man or pick out a pass. And he draws so many fouls which is a huge asset to us as our team's a serious threat from set-pieces.

I can only criticize his shooting, he'll have to work at it. But with his talent, it shouldn't be any problem. When he takes care of that, he'll have that triple threat (dribble, pass, shoot) on the ball only few in world football possess.

Hazard will make it to the top, no doubt about it.

[bababoom 4,478]

Last season Eden was frist penalty taker at Losc, If he had taken the penalities he won, not to mention the ones he shouldve gotten but didnt, his goals would be more comparable to last year.

Also keep in mind he was playing behind the striker last year afaik, witch he cant do here because Oscar cant play on the left wing iirc.. His versatility is causing him to miss out on his ideal position imho.

I really feel he doesnt get the ball enough atm...

He does, but it seems to me when he gets the ball he would rather play it safe then take on his man, it's like he's afraid of doing something wrong.

He also seems to go quiet in many games, he may do something good but he doesn't influence the game enough, this could be because he doesn't feel like he's the most important player, for example, with Lille he was undoubtedly their best player, with us it's debatable, maybe he's not used to playing with so many stars... this could explain why he's not that great for Belgium.

That's my little theory, but let me make myself clear, he's still playing good for us, i have no doubt in a couple years time he will be our best player.

[Wiillowhobo 28]

There is a huge difference in being The star player of the team and being one of the better players of the team. It's something which most of the time is ignored. In the former, you are searched for constantly, the tactics are revolved around you and in most cases, the players work for you. But in the latter, you have to share the spotlight. It's why when I hear/read 'imagine if Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were in the same team, they'd be unstoppable!' I always think, as if they would both reach the same level they're playing at now.

And of course Hazard is playing at a higher level, also a lot more to handle physically (high tempo matches, busy schedule). Ligue 1 can't be compared to PL football. Hazard ripped the league apart but never shone in Europe (or for his country). So him doing the same things for Chelsea as he did for Lille in the league was highly unlikely. Plus this Chelsea team is still in transition, getting used to new tactics, aren't really 'team' yet and still need a few additions before fully functioning. This is nothing yet, this new team that is being built can do so much better.

He'll need time, not everyone can be like Messi and perform at a world-class level at a very young age. But Hazard's a fantastic talent, already a very good player at such a young age. The expectations seem to be extremely high but I for one think he's doing a great job already. He's put in some top performances and even when he's not great, he still adds plenty to the team. Such a danger every time he's on the ball, and the opposition knows it, as he's a pacey player who can beat a man or pick out a pass. And he draws so many fouls which is a huge asset to us as our team's a serious threat from set-pieces.

I can only criticize his shooting, he'll have to work at it. But with his talent, it shouldn't be any problem. When he takes care of that, he'll have that triple threat (dribble, pass, shoot) on the ball only few in world football possess.

Hazard will make it to the top, no doubt about it.

I agree with you on the most stuff but I'd really want to dissolve the misunderstanding about Hazard not performing for the national team. He's already had good games with the Belgian team. It's just the media that makes it out to be otherwise, don't get fooled. They often refer to his statistics: 33 games and only 2 goals but almost never mention he also provided 9 assists. Also, because he made his debut at a very young age (17 years, november 2008) he did not play a full game up until his 9th cap one year later (against Hungary, november 2009). Before that it was mainly cameo appearances or early substitutions. You can't expect a kid from 17 to rip national teams apart. Then, when Leekens was our national team coach, he was benched a lot too and mostly made substitute appearances or got substituted early on. My point being, when the media refers to his 33 games that would be 2970 minutes of total playing time, whilst instead Hazard only has played 1998 minutes for his national team (because of the reasons mentioned above), which equals to only 22 games. Therefore, it would be more correct to say that he's had 22 games, 2 goals and 9 assists, which is not too shabby for a 21 year old. Source: http://www.belgianfo...-team-selection ---> click on his image

Even when he's not producing statistics, he's had good games. E.g. against Croatia he was good, put 3 players straight on goal only in the 1st half. You can't really expect much more out of a player, not his fault they did not score. And in Europe he ripped Liverpool and Genoa apart in EL. In CL he was really good against Inter and also versus CSKA Moskou. So, I hope that stops the talk about him not being good for the national team. Sure he had some bad games, but he's had good ones too. Media in Belgium just hold him to a higher standard, but it's blown out of proportion.

[Belgiannutt 3,201]

Personally i think Hazard should try and mimic the way Messi plays.(to some degree) Maybe RDM should make him watch dvd's of Messi. To study the way he plays.

Before people freak out i'm not saying Hazard is as good as Messi but i do see similarities between them. I think Hazard could deliver similar performances for us( given the right guidance) but to a lesser extent then Messi. I also believe he was bought for that reason. To give us that penetrating ability when faced with an opponent that parks the bus.

For example :

Alot of the times Messi will pick up the ball 10 yards past the half way line before making his well known dribbles.

This isn't coincidental. He'll always try to get a 1 on 1 situation going with his main marker. He'll then try and turn him and outpace him. He then usually continues his run by running diagonally away, never straight, towards a defender. He'll always try and make the opponent chase him

to the left or the right. This again is not a coincidence. He does this because it forces the opponent to move towards him.

Giving Messi the opportunity to either outpace the opponent or cut back and take the inside of the opponent. Deception also plays a huge part in this.

Or if the opponent is camping in front of the goal he'll start running with the ball from the right side, cutting inside and running horizontally across the face of goal causing the defence to tighten up leaving acres of space on the wings giving him the options of shooting, passing to the wings or giving through balls.

These are only a couple of things i've noticed from watching Messi play that could help Hazard enhance his dribbling.

[bitee 12]

no sarcastic.i'm very serious. he runs , runs and runs and then?what else? i don't understand why we said h'es a very good player.he can't compared to hazard and mata so far. he seems a good guy and all but for the football i play better than him and i don't laugh.

[Waterfall 893]

No idea what you just said

[BlueLyon 9,359]

No idea what you just said

Dont bother, he is probably spurs fan or sth.

[bitee 12]

spurs fan ahhahah.no i'm serious oscar is shit you understand or no

[BlueLyon 9,359]

spurs fan ahhahah.no i'm serious oscar is shit you understand or no

Tell me what do you think about Kagawa, Nasri, Lennon, Joe Allen and Ramsey?

[bitee 12]

better than him

[BlueLyon 9,359]

better than him

Explain for everyone why are they better

[bitee 12]

nasri for example has a better vision of the game,he's more creative and has a better technique

[Belgiannutt 3,201]

Hazard thread not Oscar thread...

[bitee 12]

learn to read since the beginning please

[Stingray 9,441]

no sarcastic.i'm very serious. he runs , runs and runs and then?what else? i don't understand why we said h'es a very good player.he can't compared to hazard and mata so far. he seems a good guy and all but for the football i play better than him and i don't laugh.

You have been diagnosed with repetitive brainfart-syndrom. Go see a doctor asap!

[Stingray 9,441]

I agree with you on the most stuff but I'd really want to dissolve the misunderstanding about Hazard not performing for the national team. He's already had good games with the Belgian team. It's just the media that makes it out to be otherwise, don't get fooled. They often refer to his statistics: 33 games and only 2 goals but almost never mention he also provided 9 assists. Also, because he made his debut at a very young age (17 years, november 2008) he did not play a full game up until his 9th cap one year later (against Hungary, november 2009). Before that it was mainly cameo appearances or early substitutions. You can't expect a kid from 17 to rip national teams apart. Then, when Leekens was our national team coach, he was benched a lot too and mostly made substitute appearances or got substituted early on. My point being, when the media refers to his 33 games that would be 2970 minutes of total playing time, whilst instead Hazard only has played 1998 minutes for his national team (because of the reasons mentioned above), which equals to only 22 games. Therefore, it would be more correct to say that he's had 22 games, 2 goals and 9 assists, which is not too shabby for a 21 year old. Source: http://www.belgianfo...-team-selection ---> click on his image

Even when he's not producing statistics, he's had good games. E.g. against Croatia he was good, put 3 players straight on goal only in the 1st half. You can't really expect much more out of a player, not his fault they did not score. And in Europe he ripped Liverpool and Genoa apart in EL. In CL he was really good against Inter and also versus CSKA Moskou. So, I hope that stops the talk about him not being good for the national team. Sure he had some bad games, but he's had good ones too. Media in Belgium just hold him to a higher standard, but it's blown out of proportion.

This ABSOLUTELY true. Our standard is way to high for Eden in the National team. We want him to just fuck every defense every time he is on the pitch.

If he would have missed a couple of passes like KDB did yesterday against Romania, he would be burned for it - where KDB (rightfully so) wasn't! We seem - sometimes also on this forum - to expect perfection from this young boy. If anything, I thought we missed his spark yesterday during the interland. More so, our other players got a LOT less room/space when he is not on the pitch. He is a magnet for defenders and creates so much room for others - even when playing on a sub-Messi standard :-)

In Chelsea, I just love him being here!

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Personally i think Hazard should try and mimic the way Messi plays.(to some degree) Maybe RDM should make him watch dvd's of Messi. To study the way he plays.

Before people freak out i'm not saying Hazard is as good as Messi but i do see similarities between them. I think Hazard could deliver similar performances for us( given the right guidance) but to a lesser extent then Messi. I also believe he was bought for that reason. To give us that penetrating ability when faced with an opponent that parks the bus.

For example :

Alot of the times Messi will pick up the ball 10 yards past the half way line before making his well known dribbles.

This isn't coincidental. He'll always try to get a 1 on 1 situation going with his main marker. He'll then try and turn him and outpace him. He then usually continues his run by running diagonally away, never straight, towards a defender. He'll always try and make the opponent chase him

to the left or the right. This again is not a coincidence. He does this because it forces the opponent to move towards him.

Giving Messi the opportunity to either outpace the opponent or cut back and take the inside of the opponent. Deception also plays a huge part in this.

Or if the opponent is camping in front of the goal he'll start running with the ball from the right side, cutting inside and running horizontally across the face of goal causing the defence to tighten up leaving acres of space on the wings giving him the options of shooting, passing to the wings or giving through balls.

These are only a couple of things i've noticed from watching Messi play that could help Hazard enhance his dribbling.

That's a good analysis of messi, but the difference is that the whole barca team is built around him. The whole team prepares themselves when messi is on the ball and about 3 players always keep themselves available for a pass when messi starts his trademark runs.

This always confuses the defender becos he is not sure whether messi is going to pass, or dribble more or shoot.

But with chelsea, if hazard is dribbling, u rarely see people open up for him, or make runs(mata does a few times and u see the one twos between them)

This make the defender more focused that hazard wants to dribble only and its easier to defend than messi's situation.

If we try to play to hazard strengths and make runs while he dribbles, you will see why messi is different in argentina but better in barcelona.