Eden Hazard

[MAF 162]

He was chosen best young player in The world by Bleacher Report apperantly...

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1324524-top-50-young-players-in-world-football-right-now-21-and-under?google_editors_picks=true

[Spike 12,049]

He was chosen best young player in The world by Bleacher Report apperantly...

http://bleacherrepor...tors_picks=true

Don't read too much into that. Amatuer journalism at it's best (worst).

[lengthwise 17]

Don't read too much into that. Amatuer journalism at it's best (worst).

right, Bleacher Report can be full on amatuer hour

[mediator 2,026]

Eden was the best on the field. Some great actions but the team made a draw 1 vs 1 against croatia. 70% belgian domination but "Benteke" our nr 9 on the field was really really (really really... and so on...........) BAD !!

I invite you to see the highlights to see to "collective" game of Eden.

Witsel was so good too, a big tower on the midfield winning each ball.

Mordric couldn't play, he made a good "corner" @ 90 min and for the rest, he was overpowered by "steven defour" with strict defense

[Rowan_Osborn 58]

Eden was the best on the field. Some great actions but the team made a draw 1 vs 1 against croatia. 70% belgian domination but "Benteke" our nr 9 on the field was really really (really really... and so on...........) BAD !!

I invite you to see the highlights to see to "collective" game of Eden.

Witsel was so good too, a big tower on the midfield winning each ball.

Mordric couldn't play, he made a good "corner" @ 90 min and for the rest, he was overpowered by "steven defour" with strict defense

If benteke was so poor why did the coach not bring Lukaku on? surely he would of made a difference?

[mediator 2,026]

Romelu wasn't 100% fit, the 9 position is the weakest position of the belgian squad (igor de camargo is a big joke on the squad).

I think there are big expectations on romelu lukaku, but this is the same as chelsea, his first touch is awful for us too. Romelu is a big hope for the future but we can't rely on him right now. May be next year.

We also played "Mirallas" as a false 9. He was the best player of the greek champ' and best scorer. Now just arrived @ Everton, but is a winger (can play on both side, as good @ right that @ left) That's why we tried Eden as striker vs england, we had a "gap" on this position.

I think we will try fellaini as num 9 because he can control the ball, thing that romelu can't right now.

[LukakutoStamford 779]

Not sure what Wilmots was thinking. The game was extremely physical and referee was allowing a lot to happen. Belgium was dominant at times and the link up play was also fantastic in spurts. Unfortunately the defense was shaky and no striker emerged. I think Hazard is reticent to play selfish and at time it seems like he needs to be more selfish to create more his own.

Defour was excellent. Witsel is a class midfielder and nearly created a second goal. If only Lukaku was up to speed and/or if Tchite would get his Belgian citizenship this team could be very lethal.

I liked Fellaini and De Bruyne as subs but I think Wilmots might have been better off to go with Lukaku at around 60 mins while leaving Benteke on for additional height and physicality and morphing into a diamond 4-4-2 shape.

Belgian midfield is pure class.

[MAF 162]

We realy need to start with Eden on 10 and KDB & Mertens on the wings

[Moros 86]

Benteke was bad? Uh no. He wasn't. He won most of his duels and played well as a target man. The problem with Belgium was that we may have a lot of possession there's just isn't enough depth. Everyone runs towards the ball instead of finding space or trying to beat the backline. Benteke didn't get many real chances, both of which Lukaku wouldn't have made much use of either. Even less considering his first touch and the little space the striker had. With almost always two or more defenders at him. Only that back pass from Witsel after his little magic was he free to shoot. You could call that a miss, but it was also good defending on the goal line. You're supposed to strike those safely with the inside of your foot. With our playing style and often lack of getting the final pass in, we get a lot of corners. If we put Fellaini and Benteke up on the pitch, we could score quite a few goals by corner. France won in 2000 with their corners, we could do that too, especially considering our players. DeBruyne who has kicked very good corners, long passes/crosses and freekicks and Mertens as well. Add Kompany, Vermaelen, Vertonghen, Fellaini and Benteke and you're set to score a few. Lukaku isn't that bad at this either, but not quite as much as Benteke.

More on topic Hazard was good, especially at the beginning of the second half and at time in the first as well. Sadly his little touches of magic didn't result in a goal. Was he the best man on the field? Well no. Witsel from Belgium was better and one can't say that the central defenders of Croatia were bad. Also Gillet strangely enough might be one of the best playing for Belgium especially if we take Wales into account as well. De Bruyne was really excellent when he came in, almost immediately did he play decisive passes and won a few headers as well. Which tells a lot as that is a rather rare sight, it's his weak point. Perhaps he improved that one at Bremen. Courtois wasn't bad either had little work though, but what he did, he did good. Picking out some of the corners/crosses and doing a great rush out of his goal to get the ball before a Croation could.

Hazard tried to dribble a bit more, a fantastic back heel and one of his famous turns were almost put to goals. Still came asking the ball to deep at time, didn't always use the spaces efficiently or cleverly and was invisible at times. But when he was, he did good stuff especially on the middle of the pitch. He clearly isn't as effective on the wings, especially not compared to Mertens who put in quite a few good crosses and corners. Perhaps with Fellaini as an extra aerial threat we might have scored one extra.

[Gily 37]

Romelu wasn't 100% fit, the 9 position is the weakest position of the belgian squad (igor de camargo is a big joke on the squad).

Igor De Camargo is the best option if they'd play in a 2 striker system, he could be an extremely important player for Belgium. Not because he's such a good striker but because he can head the ball well & the most important thing ... if you've got him on your team you're guaranteed of atleast 5 freekicks in front of the goal, he's a magnet for fouls and pisses off defences. This is a valid option with all the good freekick takers we have and the height in our team.

De Ceulaer would have been a great option as well, people dismiss him because he plays for a small team but he's a striker in good form so he should start.

Hazard played his match, non-existent in the first half, some quality moves in the 2nd but nothing decisive. He shouldn't be played on the rightside in this system, neither should Mertens play on the leftside.

[Moros 86]

Igor De Camargo is the best option if they'd play in a 2 striker system, he could be an extremely important player for Belgium. Not because he's such a good striker but because he can head the ball well & the most important thing ... if you've got him on your team you're guaranteed of atleast 5 freekicks in front of the goal, he's a magnet for fouls and pisses off defences. This is a valid option with all the good freekick takers we have and the height in our team.

De Ceulaer would have been a great option as well, people dismiss him because he plays for a small team but he's a striker in good form so he should start.

Hazard played his match, non-existent in the first half, some quality moves in the 2nd but nothing decisive. He shouldn't be played on the rightside in this system, neither should Mertens play on the leftside.

We're never going to play in a two striker system. One or no strikers. Why would we use two strikers if our midfield is our strength and ball possession is our game? De Ceulaer is not bad but, Mirallas can play the same role as lone striker and would probably be better at it. As a RW or LW well, lets be fair we've got better guys there. Igor doesn't play much, doesn't have a future with the team so that's silly. Better try to integrate our young talented strikers or get used to a system with no real striker. Not change the team for one of our lesser players who will be over 31 in 2014 and likely not even play anymore in the next tournament. Benteke is as good a header as he is, if not better. Also Benteke is much faster. With Hazard, Mertens, Mirallas and Dembele we have people who will get freekicks already anyway. Anyway we're getting way off topic. This is an Hazard thread not a Belgian national squad thread.

Sorry for the hijack guys.

[YVT 15]

Eden was the best on the field. Some great actions but the team made a draw 1 vs 1 against croatia. 70% belgian domination but "Benteke" our nr 9 on the field was really really (really really... and so on...........) BAD !!

I invite you to see the highlights to see to "collective" game of Eden.

Witsel was so good too, a big tower on the midfield winning each ball.

Mordric couldn't play, he made a good "corner" @ 90 min and for the rest, he was overpowered by "steven defour" with strict defense

U serious? Benteke bad? I'm not even a fan of him, but com'on. Did you see how many duels he won against those two big CB's? Maybe he should have scored but overall a very good game of him. He'll be good at Aston Villa!

[Jase 43,479]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/eden-hazard-interview-chelseas-32m-1321187

Eden Hazard has insisted he is not at Chelsea to "show off" or be "a star" - and prefers to set up chances for his team-mates.

But the Belgian playmaker said he will always step up and win a game on his own if he is required.

The £32million summer signing from Lille has made a stunning start to his Premier League career to help the Blues to the top of the table going into Saturday's West London derby at QPR.

The 21-year-old is also top of the assists table after creating four goals in his first three matches - and that's not including the two penalties he has also won and his goal against Newcastle.

And Hazard claimed making openings for others is his main role in Roberto Di Matteo's side.

"I love to set up my team-mates," he said. "I am not here to be a star, to show off. I am here to play for the others, but if I have to try and clinch a game then I will.

"At Lille, coach (Rudi) Garcia made me play on the wing, which I liked because it means you are more free - you do what you want offensively even if you have to defend a lot.

"People will see me at Chelsea the way I am and judge me the way they want to."

Hazard was voted France's young player of the year in 2009 and 2010 and then player of the year in 2011 and 2012 - the first to win both awards since Zinedine Zidane.

The World Cup winner, now an advisor at Real Madrid, said last year he "would sign Hazard with [his] eyes closed".

And Hazard, who wanted Juan Mata's No 10 shirt at Chelsea but had to settle for No 17, returns the compliment.

"I always liked No10, because I loved Zidane," the Chelsea midfielder told the new official Champions Matchday magazine. "He was my role model. I always wanted to play like him.

"When he started talking about me, I didn't understand what was happening any more. But he must have said that about other players, so I knew I had to keep on working."

Both Manchester clubs also sought Hazard's signature but he said he chose Stamford Bridge because Chelsea "had the best arguments" and he "felt wanted".

And while admitting his English was still "hazardous", he said: "It's totally different here.

"With Lille we could have gone to the South of France and people wouldn't have recognised us. But at Chelsea, the players are at another level.

"Everything has changed for me - the language, the country - but it is up to me to adapt."

Next week, Hazard - who played in the Super Cup humiliation at the hands of Atletico Madrid last month - will make his Chelsea Champions League debut against Juventus.

"It's a competition that gets everyone dreaming," he admitted. "Every detail counts at this level. It was good experience (last season with Lille). I hope to do better in it.

"It will be complicated, because now Chelsea are the team to beat. The goal is to win the Champions League every year, but we know it is difficult to win it twice in a row."

As Belgium seek to qualify for their first major tournament since the 2002 World Cup, the Red Devils sit joint top of Group A after a 1-1 draw with Luka Modric's Croatia.

"The Belgian fans expect a lot of me in the Belgium team," Hazard admitted. "It is normal - they don't forget that I cost Euros 40m. I totally understand.

"I am maybe still very young but I already have a lot of experience. I don't accept this argument about age, just like when people talk about the pressure on my shoulders.

"The pressure at Chelsea is equally enormous."

[Belgiannutt 3,201]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0eJomyaVho

Big summary of Belgium-Croatia

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,746]

Eden was the best on the field. Some great actions but the team made a draw 1 vs 1 against croatia. 70% belgian domination but "Benteke" our nr 9 on the field was really really (really really... and so on...........) BAD !!

I invite you to see the highlights to see to "collective" game of Eden.

Witsel was so good too, a big tower on the midfield winning each ball.

Mordric couldn't play, he made a good "corner" @ 90 min and for the rest, he was overpowered by "steven defour" with strict defense

Benteke was pretty good with what he had in that match.

[Tomo 21,681]

Hazard's boring me now. I want Malouda's 40 yard shooting back.

[zolayes 14,489]

Hazard's boring me now. I want Malouda's 40 yard shooting back.

I miss SWEEP ..there is something so special about headless chickens

[Jose M 140]

THE MAKINGS OF A LEGEND

Great read: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2202923/Eden-Hazard-How-Chelsea-star-developed-32m-world-class-player.html