Eden Hazard

[Peppi85 110]

Since playing for us he's always dived or fell when opponents touched him in a certain way - French league is one of the lighter in the world imo, but he continues to fall at the minor contact expecting referees to call a foul when they won't in 80% of the cases he fell. It's taking him more time than necessary to realize the reality in England isn't the same as in France.

Ever seen Ligue 1? Its almost as physical as the championship....

[Stingray 9,441]

Ever seen Ligue 1? Its almost as physical as the championship....

That is true. I think he has this style and technique that makes him get fouled a lot. But he is not a diver, really.

But it is true, he is out of form really bad for his doing - although Bayern was great - as was Hull. I already posted about this twice really extensively with stats and everything, but in his career - except one year - the last at Lille - his starts have been bad. That translates in falling, bad passing, etc.

He will rev up the engine soon. I am not worried and people who are haven't seen him play enough, really. So, let's give him some bench time - get that nagging injury out of the way - include KDB and William in the team (and cry for the lack of pivot or ST options).

edit: if he needs to learn something - it is to get better season starts.

Go Blues. Go Eden :-)

[CHOULO19 24,332]

edit: if he needs to learn something - it is to get better season starts.

Or to finish

[Barbara 15,149]

Ever seen Ligue 1? Its almost as physical as the championship....

tried to watch it many times (all Lyon matches)... couldn't hold my interest for longer than 30 minutes... I have an obsession and inexplicable love for Lyon, but not even both things made me watch Ligue 1. I still think it's a light league - but if you think it's physical then it's even worse for Eden. What excuse does he have for falling (sometimes diving) all the time? It seems like he can't take the physical contact - not in a way that it's too much for him, because it's not, he's a chubby little thing, but in a way that he seems not used to it.

[Stingray 9,441]

Or to finish

Yeah!! That we need to learn. Finish with a BANG :-)

[Gorando 184]

EPL Stat Man ‏@EPLStatman1u

Most Accurate Final Third Passes 13/14 Hazard 88 Baines 83 K.Walker 75 Pienaar 75 Ramsey 71 Fellaini 70 Silva 68 Oscar 67 Barkley 66

[The Skipper 20,593]

tried to watch it many times (all Lyon matches)... couldn't hold my interest for longer than 30 minutes... I have an obsession and inexplicable love for Lyon, but not even both things made me watch Ligue 1. I still think it's a light league - but if you think it's physical then it's even worse for Eden. What excuse does he have for falling (sometimes diving) all the time? It seems like he can't take the physical contact - not in a way that it's too much for him, because it's not, he's a chubby little thing, but in a way that he seems not used to it.

No, Eden doesn't dive or simulate.

He's very clever with it. The only way you can get the ball off Eden is if you physically contact him - which usually (90% of the time) results in a free kick as he protects the ball with his body superbly most of the time.

If Eden has the opportunity to go on he will - if he doesn't he'll usually get fouled. There's a reason why he was Europe's most fouled player last season and the season before if I remember correctly. That in itself should tell you he doesn't dive.

[Barbara 15,149]

No, Eden doesn't dive or simulate.

He's very clever with it. The only way you can get the ball off Eden is if you physically contact him - which usually (90% of the time) results in a free kick as he protects the ball with his body superbly most of the time.

If Eden has the opportunity to go on he will - if he doesn't he'll usually get fouled. There's a reason why he was Europe's most fouled player last season and the season before if I remember correctly. That in itself should tell you he doesn't dive.

He's no Neymar - thank God for that, but I think he sometimes tries to fool the referee. And he falls a lot... and in many of those times no foul is called - most of them. so much that at some point early last season pundits and commentators - in Brazil at least - said that the referees already knew this about him and weren't falling for it anymore.

I do agree he's fouled a lot. And the dive I meant sometimes - rarely - the falling I meant constantly. Only last match he fell about 4-5 times and the referee didn't call a foul. We lost possession and he stayed sitting on the pitch.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I think he has tried to fool the referee a few times in the past, but I don't think he's necessarily a "diver", not in today's game. You look at Bale, Young, Suarez and the likes and those are divers; and that's not even to mention the whole La Liga!

[Stingray 9,441]

He's no Neymar

I don't know ...; Neymar is so, so talented. Just watch Barcelona - he will be awesome. Even if a lot on here doubt him. I wish we would have bought him instead of william, really.

[Barbara 15,149]

I don't know ...; Neymar is so, so talented. Just watch Barcelona - he will be awesome. Even if a lot on here doubt him. I wish we would have bought him instead of william, really.

I actually meant in the diving department which I'm thankful for it. Diving is a shameful football resort - one Neymar isn't shy of using at all matches, as many times as possible - although he's also very much fouled.

[The Skipper 20,593]

He's no Neymar - thank God for that, but I think he sometimes tries to fool the referee. And he falls a lot... and in many of those times no foul is called - most of them. so much that at some point early last season pundits and commentators - in Brazil at least - said that the referees already knew this about him and weren't falling for it anymore.

I do agree he's fouled a lot. And the dive I meant sometimes - rarely - the falling I meant constantly. Only last match he fell about 4-5 times and the referee didn't call a foul. We lost possession and he stayed sitting on the pitch.

Yeah as Choo Choo said, when you compare him to the real divers in the game he's a saint. Sure he tries to trick the referees sometimes, but every player of his style does it.

Last game was an anomaly, he just wasn't good enough in every department - even being fouled.

[meetdoscar 335]

Played better in the second half as did most of our team but he needs to start scoring/creating goals because willian looks a serious threat.

[Phil Driver 503]

I feel Hazard is the main loser in this team that is not functioning at the moment ,he still shows flashes of absoloute genius to me and when the team is firing he will be world class.

[Gilvorak 3,734]

Thankfully Mourinho finally touched upon Hazard's woeful movement.

He always receives the ball with his back to goal or when surrounded by 2/3 defenders. Of course part of the problem is the poor support from Cole and the snails pace at which we play but he simply doesn't do himself any favours either.

[John1611 77]

No, Eden doesn't dive or simulate.

He's very clever with it. The only way you can get the ball off Eden is if you physically contact him - which usually (90% of the time) results in a free kick as he protects the ball with his body superbly most of the time.

If Eden has the opportunity to go on he will - if he doesn't he'll usually get fouled. There's a reason why he was Europe's most fouled player last season and the season before if I remember correctly. That in itself should tell you he doesn't dive.

The stats say otherwise. He wasn't the most fouled player in the league let alone Europe.

http://squawka.com/news/2013/05/07/top-five-most-fouled-players-in-the-premier-league/201305078685/shaun-maloney-average-pass-length#main

[John1611 77]

I think many people forget to factor in the fact that there is a certain way we play in this new team structure which Jose is trying to implement. We are less direct than we were under Benitez. Hazard was told by Jose to play a certain way within his new system. I'm reminded of the time when Lamps was moved from the advanced to the holding role many supporters started complaining about him scoring less goals, being invisible in the final third etc, when he was just simply following the instructions he was given. This is not an accurate analogy so please do not take it as such. It just illustrates the point that like the rest of the team, Hazard is still adapting to the new philosophy, to our new style of play. It'll take time for him to adapt, and Jose knows that. If Mourinho imposed the Benitez ideology and Hazard played like he did in the past few matches Jose'd bench him instantly. But because Jose understands that Hazard needs to learn just like the rest of the team to adjust to the unfamiliar aesthetics of team play he is willing to sacrifice a few poorer quality performances for the sake of the end result.

This is of course not to say Hazard still should be doing a bit better, which I totally agree with. Give him time however and it'll pay off.

[polo 18]

his only brilliant match: against Bayern