Eden Hazard

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24155092

Two seconds to prove you're a liar.

Ok, fair enough, that's one example out of 9 defeats this season. Against Newcastle, Sunderland, Villa, and PSG he either criticized his players or blamed the refs. He has gone from a charming individual to an insufferable person who can't take stuff on his chin. In this same article you point out, he is praising the strikers, then we go away to PSG and lose and all of a sudden, is "I lack a striker". A manager like Ancelotti will never say stuff like that and it's common sense really.

Now he throws Hazard under the bus again for making a mistake. The same player who is was just until weeks ago "happy with his defensive contribution". This is a young nucleus of players he's dealing with.

And it's an unpopular opinion, but I neither like his behaviour or the way his teams play football. That's why I had reservations of him coming back to be the guy that brings stability to this new Chelsea. Some people think he is the be all end all of Chelsea and treat him as a god. The only person that deserves that is Roman, no one else. I've been a supporter before he was here and I will be one after he's gone. I'm not going to "agree" with all his actions, because I can see when he's right or wrong.

Mourinho looked like he was about to handle the Hazard question properly "The quotes were taken out of context" but he was goaded by some journalist and proceeded to throw Hazard under the bus to deflect criticism from the poor brand of football. It's clever, but I saw through it.

[Special Juan 27,103]

If anyone thinks this won´t accelerate, then just wait for an hour or so. By 4 p.m. It will be all over the UK media.

No need to wait, it already is.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2618436/Jose-Mourinho-claims-Chelsea-winger-Eden-Hazard-not-ready-100-cent-team.html

[hjperdeath 2,226]

I for one - again - am not defending.

But: criticising Hazard does not automatically imply you have to stick up for Mourinho. It is like saying 'evolution is wrong, so the bible is right'.

Hazard fucked up, so did Mourinho imo. What is the deal with that statement. Or do you think he put up a tactical masterclass?

I didn't have a go at you man. I was just putting up an opinion across to the other guy. I haven't seen your post.

I'm not sticking up for Mourinho. I was one of the guys who was completely against what happened versus Basel and a few other games. I'm not forever sticking up for him, even tho I admire him far too much to be called healthy. But in this particular situation, I defend him. Because he deserves to be defended. Put ourselves into his shoes. How many PC's has he said hypocritical things which makes him look like he suffers from severe autism just to protect his players? He doesn't deserve to be blasted for defending Hazard in the latest PC and pinpointing a flaw in him. I'm sorry, but he doesn't.

I don't think it was a total master-class or that Mourinho fucked up. 43 minutes, we were in cruise control. Then a sudden defensive lapse, and a stupid stupid penalty to give away. Not under Jose's controls. Jose made the one mistake of trying to change the game too early. Cole out, and Eto'o in IIRC. and after that we've never had the kind of balance or players in the squad to come back against a team that could dominate with a 1-3 scoreline. No team in Europe does.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

nothiing... absolutely NOTHING that jose has said is wrong. it was the same EXACT THING that most of us were saying yesterday. the importance of being a team player cant be lost even if u r eden hazard. simple as that.

Practically, you are spot on, but this is not the first time Jose is deflecting blame away from himself to hide his failures.

[bushman 2,043]

No need to wait, it already is.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2618436/Jose-Mourinho-claims-Chelsea-winger-Eden-Hazard-not-ready-100-cent-team.html

Well, as expected. I, honestly, feel Jose needs to brush up on his English. This creates animosity only. How would you feel if I were to say, you do not do your job properly?

[Stingray 9,441]

a stupid stupid penalty to give away

Yet noone talks about this, really.

[Special Juan 27,103]

Well, as expected. I, honestly, feel Jose needs to brush up on his English. This creates animosity only. How would you feel if I were to say, you do not do your job properly?

I'd take it on board and make sure I was better, after all, the boss is the boss for a reason.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Hazard fucked up, so did Mourinho imo. What is the deal with that statement. Or do you think he put up a tactical masterclass?

I think if we do what we did against Liverpool and win 1-0 against a better team then a few people call it a 'tactical masterclass'.

But tactics don't just exist on the whiteboard at Cobham - they have to be executed by every member of the team. Hazard didn't, so the narrative becomes something else.

In Madrid he set his team up and 11 men did their jobs - he got the result.

In Liverpool he set his team up and 11 men did their jobs - he got the result.

On Wednesday he set his team up and 10 men did their jobs.

Ok, fair enough, that's one example out of 9 defeats this season. Against Newcastle, Sunderland, Villa, and PSG he either criticized his players or blamed the refs.

So you don't like him blaming the refs, don't like him criticising players and forget when he takes the blame.

What you want is a mute manager - why don't you lead by example?

[bushman 2,043]

I'd take it on board and make sure I was better, after all, the boss is the boss for a reason.

Some might, others may feel it is not justified. Two ways of looking at it. Especially in the public.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Yet noone talks about this, really.

If you want to talk about it then you have to start at the beginning - why was Eto'o on the pitch? Because we had to chase the game.

Put simply we had to chase the game against la liga leaders with a midfield of Luiz and Ramires and no top-class striker. If Jose wanted to do that then he'd have done that from the first minute, not the 55th.

We might not have lost the game because of Eden, but we lost our best chance of winning it because of him.

[Special Juan 27,103]

Some might, others may feel it is not justified. Two ways of looking at it. Especially in the public.

Moap about it or do something about it, not a difficult choice is it?

[Stingray 9,441]

On Wednesday he set his team up and 10 men did their jobs.

Again I refer to the penalty plus the lack of attacking contributions from others (or did you find the passing % of the central midfield adequate for a semi final for example). It is much more than just one piece of the machinery not functioning. It was more like general failure sparked by several individual mistakes - not just Hazards. Though he played one of the more visible roles (together with the completely ignored eto'o)

[Stingray 9,441]

If you want to talk about it then you have to start at the beginning - why was Eto'o on the pitch? Because we had to chase the game.

We might not have lost the game because of Eden, but we lost our best chance of winning it because of him.

I will put the question right back and start at the beginning: why was Eden on the pitch? Especially after an injury?

Those are Mourinho decisions. A leader takes responsibility. You win as a team, you lose as a team.

[bushman 2,043]

Moap about it or do something about it, not a difficult choice is it?

It could backfire? Pull Hazard aside, tell him about it, but in the public.

[Pizy 17,860]

Pretty scathing words from José there.

Hopefully Eden takes it the right way and agrees with him. Maybe we'll see a nice, positive reaction at the weekend.

I would like to think this won't be another CR7 situation like last season when José said something about Ronaldo not taking advice on how to improve and help the team more. Their relationship crumbled after that.

Hazard seems to be keen to learn and improve unlike Ronaldo.

[Special Juan 27,103]

It could backfire? Pull Hazard aside, tell him about it, but in the public.

Nothing to backfire too, Jose is the boss, doesn't matter how Eden takes it.

[didierforever 7,349]

Practically, you are spot on, but this is not the first time Jose is deflecting blame away from himself to hide his failures.

jose's to blame? for what? for setting us up perfectly?

[The only place to be 11,313]

I will put the question right back and start at the beginning: why was Eden on the pitch? Especially after an injury?

Those are Mourinho decisions. A leader takes responsibility. You win as a team, you lose as a team.

He was playing because he was assessed as being fit. Honestly I'm not sure what the injury has to do with anything though. Could he not track Juanfran's run because of his injury? The fact that he was so vibrant and full of running at the end of the match suggests he wasn't suffering any after-effects of his injury

Mourinho's decision was to set up his team accordingly. Against a better team we were 1-0 up in the semi-final of the Champions League. Atletico Madrid had to attack us, and we had to defend and possibly look to hit them on the counter, something Jose had done EXPERTLY just a few days earlier with a much weaker team.

In that position you want one thing - 100% commitment to the cause from every player on the pitch.

Again I refer to the penalty plus the lack of attacking contributions from others (or did you find the passing % of the central midfield adequate for a semi final for example). It is much more than just one piece of the machinery not functioning. It was more like general failure sparked by several individual mistakes - not just Hazards. Though he played one of the more visible roles (together with the completely ignored eto'o)

Our midfield is shit, but we were 1-0 up and had arguably the best defensive manager in the world in charge. His instruction to Hazard would've been to track overlapping runners (JT also says it to him).

Some people want to argue about the instruction and some people recognise that the order wasn't followed. Everything that comes after that is the result of us conceding that goal.