Eden Hazard

[Stingray 9,441]

How being young guarantees a spot for him? How being young allows him to not produce enough and still start for a club like Chelsea? Ever other sentence you wrote you mention his age, something I did mention myself, so don't really get the reason for your rant. So I will just comment about what I care about: that Hazard IMO has been very poor.

So, in my view Hazard is already a player with deficiencies; He does not track back or defend well. He's very static when without the football, though he explodes into movement when he does get the ball. So, with the football at his feet he is very good, sometimes excellent.

So, aside from his known and quite obvious deficiencies, he should've been scoring goals and creating chances all the time, but he is not.

Him being young gives a reason for his lack of consistency, but does not give one for Chelsea to start him when he can't deliver. What applies to other players also applies to Hazard, regardless of age. Lukaku can't be too young and inconsistent for Chelsea, but it's OK if Hazard vanishes because he is too young.

Nobody is saying sell him, but if his current form does not improve he should not be starting.

Than bench him instead of burning him up and then criticize him. Thats all I say when I say he is young. BUT, also be consistent and say the same for the rest of the team. Who plays regularly better than him?? Will you bench them as well?? Who stands out, even with the older, more experienced ? Who? Please explain?

[robsblubot 3,502]

Than bench him instead of burning him up and then criticize him. Thats all I say when I say he is young. BUT, also be consistent and say the same for the rest of the team. Who plays regularly better than him?? Will you bench them as well?? Who stands out, even with the older, more experienced ? Who? Please explain?

Burning him up and criticize him?! lol That's what fans do... that's what we do around here... we want Chelsea to win, not Hazard or Oscar, or Moses. We all have our preferences, but it's about the team! If Hazard isn't creating or scoring what the hell is he doing? Why is he starting?

Mata plays a lot better than him and regularly so (only 23 btw). So, yes, if the player is not performing he should be benched. Then he gets another chance when he shows something during practice. That's how things usually work when the club has options, which I think is one of the problems with Chelsea this season (lack of strength in depth).

[The Skipper 20,593]

Burning him up and criticize him?! lol That's what fans do... that's what we do around here... we want Chelsea to win, not Hazard or Oscar, or Moses. We all have our preferences, but it's about the team! If Hazard isn't creating or scoring what the hell is he doing? Why is he starting?

Mata plays a lot better than him and regularly so (only 23 btw). So, yes, if the player is not performing he should be benched. Then he gets another chance when he shows something during practice. That's how things usually work when the club has options, which I think is one of the problems with Chelsea this season (lack of strength in depth).

Mata is 24 and its his second season in the EPL. Who should Hazard be benched for? Marin? Please.

[Greyco 143]

Les connaisseurs will know that Hazard always has a dip in form from october to december, even when he was at Lille. He doesn't play bad by any means but not to the full of his abilities. The past seasons he always kicked it on a notch from february till the end of the season. I'm curious if he can emulate that at Chelsea.

Now there are a few other reasons why he isn't shining as he was at Lille. Lille were often dubbed the Barcelona of the Nord because of their playing style. When Hazard and Cabaye were there they had an enormous majority of ball possession. They basicly defended by preventing possession of the ball to the opponents. This enabled Hazard to reserve his high intensity runs forward and you saw more dazzling runs from him.

At Chelsea this is not the case. He has to do a lot of high intensity runs to the back, sprinting back to cover the fullbacks. For me this is the biggest reason Chelsea are dropping behind at the moment, the failure to have better ball retention. Hazard, Mata and Oscar excell in retention of the ball and aren't that suited to be pacing back all the time. However, more than half the squad isn't used to this. Especially when other teams pressure Chelsea high up the field, the defensive element of the squad have problems reaching the front. You can't play the high ball with the players up there.

I'd think Chelsea would have a lot more success if a few players get more assured when in possession of the ball. The possession% should get up to near 60% (like ManU) or higher instead of the 'mere' 54% now. Especially if we'd want to see the best out of Mata-Hazard-Oscar.

ps: Some of the other Belgian posters should take a chill-pill, Hazard isn't and shouldn't be immune to criticism. I don't think his age is a valid argument either. He's one of the most experienced and mature players around for his age. He has been playing sub-par the last few months and you shouldn't immediatly get on your horse when other posters point that out.

[Muzchap 8,966]

Les connaisseurs will know that Hazard always has a dip in form from october to december, even when he was at Lille. He doesn't play bad by any means but not to the full of his abilities. The past seasons he always kicked it on a notch from february till the end of the season. I'm curious if he can emulate that at Chelsea.

Now there are a few other reasons why he isn't shining as he was at Lille. Lille were often dubbed the Barcelona of the Nord because of their playing style. When Hazard and Cabaye were there they had an enormous majority of ball possession. They basicly defended by preventing possession of the ball to the opponents. This enabled Hazard to reserve his high intensity runs forward and you saw more dazzling runs from him.

At Chelsea this is not the case. He has to do a lot of high intensity runs to the back, sprinting back to cover the fullbacks. For me this is the biggest reason Chelsea are dropping behind at the moment, the failure to have better ball retention. Hazard, Mata and Oscar excell in retention of the ball and aren't that suited to be pacing back all the time. However, more than half the squad isn't used to this. Especially when other teams pressure Chelsea high up the field, the defensive element of the squad have problems reaching the front. You can't play the high ball with the players up there.

I'd think Chelsea would have a lot more success if a few players get more assured when in possession of the ball. The possession% should get up to near 60% (like ManU) or higher instead of the 'mere' 54% now. Especially if we'd want to see the best out of Mata-Hazard-Oscar.

ps: Some of the other Belgian posters should take a chill-pill, Hazard isn't and shouldn't be immune to criticism. I don't think his age is a valid argument either. He's one of the most experienced and mature players around for his age. He has been playing sub-par the last few months and you shouldn't immediatly get on your horse when other posters point that out.

Excellent post

I think he's been ok last few games, nothing special, just solid.

But think you hit the nail on the head with the ball retention - is not just the passing, it's the complete lack of movement from the team that limits passing options look at Swansea, Wigan and WBA before the slump, they all passed and moved and created triangles. We did this sort of, for a few games, then lost our way. It's the Managers and Players responsibility to get this back!!!

Then we can start destroying teams!

[meetdoscar 335]

His finishing is poor for 32 million pounds. He must improve on this if he is to play on the wings else we might just have to play him in no.10 role where he will mostly be a play maker and be in less contact with the opposition goal. TBH for all his talent and creativity which is not in doubt I don't trust him in front of goal much like torres in this aspect.

[Peppen 934]

Think Hazard has been one of our better players this season so far. Of course he needs to improve, but let's be honest, who in this squad doesn't?

[Peppi85 110]

His finishing is poor for 32 million pounds. He must improve on this if he is to play on the wings else we might just have to play him in no.10 role where he will mostly be a play maker and be in less contact with the opposition goal. TBH for all his talent and creativity which is not in doubt I don't trust him in front of goal much like torres in this aspect.

Hazard wants to play the no.10 role! That was one of the reasons he came here... & that was the position were he played most of the time last season with Lille.

[DYC. 7,542]

People people.. Just look at the boy, so much natural talent. And he doesn't seem to have any attitude problems and looks like real professional so I don't have any doubt he'll be huge for us.

You just can't expect a newcomer to come in and rip the league apart. It has happened in different cases and it would've been nice but still unrealistic. To make things worse, he joined a unbalanced and struggling side, a team that doesn't possess a clear style of play.

He used to play in a inferior league as well. Ligue 1 can't be compared to the Premier League. Remember Essien, Drogba and Malouda? They were all Ligue 1 imports and they all needed time to adjust (and they joined a team that was among very the best at the time). They were far more experienced as well, Hazard is 21(!). But they turned out okay.

Hazard didn't ask Chelsea to pay 32 mil pounds for him did he? This is a completely new experience for him. Just give the boy some time and he'll come good.

[Stingray 9,441]

[Stingray 9,441]

Well, well, well. Give a talent time. No need to take a chill pill at all

[Jype 6,398]

Changed the game. Was 1-1 when he came on and we didn't really look like scoring before he entered the pitch.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Good composed finished on his goal, wasn't too sure he'd score tbh.

[Sheva. 5,373]

How many assists does he have? he seems to get one every other game lol.

[Yeboii 1,844]

How many assists does he have? he seems to get one every other game lol.

Premierleague.com says he has 10 assists, probably only in the league. Thats good

[Beepu 1,714]

Completely changed the game today, but hasnt been his best recently, as explained in posts above. I still fully believe he'll be a big hit for years to come.

[meetdoscar 335]

I'd like to see him perform like this or as he did vs nor....land in ucl in bigger games. He seems to be mostly average when playing bigger teams but a Bully against smaller teams.

[Madmax 9,219]

He scores when he wants, he scores when he wants, Fernando Torres, he scores when Hazard wants!