Debate : Building the team around EH10 ? If yes, how ?

[Hkibou 622]

Hello, I was thinking about Hazard's recent form. Paradoxically, while he doesn't score or assist that much, he has found some consistency being close to his best level every game and throughout the 90 minutes, whichever the opposite side or competition. We'll see how he performs during the entire season but it very likely means he has recently taken a huge step further in his evolution.

If indeed Hazard has gained consistency and delivers worldclass performances week in week out like Messi and Ronaldo, would'nt it be the wisest thing to do for Mourinho to build his team around the best n°10 in the world, as well as he built Madrid's style of play around the best winger of the world ? Guardiola surely would agree as well.
Of course, Hazard having a very different set of skills than Ronaldo, and Messi to a less extent, but more importantly a very different mentality than both of them, it would result in a very different team than Guardiola's Barca or Mou's Madrid.

But it could very well turn out in another type of match winning machine able to dominate European football very soon. In fact I think the best examples of how a team could be built around an Hazard-type player are Ajax/Pays-Bas with Cruyff and Juventus/France with Platini.

Belgium manager Marc Wilmots has declared from the very beginning that he wants to build the team around Hazard as a n°10, without outstandingly good results so far but Hazard has just found his consistency and Wilmots is tactically a worm compared to Mourinho.

So, what do you think ? What should be Chelsea's evolution next few years : built around Hazard, a Barça like team ; or all collective and balanced like the Bayern ?

For me if Mourinho decides to build the team around Hazard like Barca for Messi or Ajax for Cruyff, he should try this system :

__________________________Courtois (Cech)__________________________
Ivanovic/Azpi____________Cahill (Azpi)_____Terry (Zouma)____________Luis (Ake)
______________________________Matic (Mikel)_____________________________
_________________Fabregas (Ramires)______Oscar (Wilian)__________________
______________________________Hazard (Wilian)___________________________
______________________Costa (Drogba)__Rémy (Schurrle)____________________

I really think it's what's best suited if the priority in to give Hazard the keys of the team and the perfect environnement to thrive. It may be also the fastest way to turn the team into a match winning machine, even in CL ?

Of course in this system it's all a question of balance. The defense is very solid thanks to the quartet Courtois - Cahill - Terry - Matic who focus entirely on keeping the team solid and compact at all time. Without forgetting the full backs and two central midfields whe get their share of defensive tasks as well. But for the fullbacks, it means less defensive work as in the current 4-2-3-1. They would have to act as "old" wingers, eating their lines to stretch the other team, and be the main offensive forces on the flanks. That's why I think Aké would be a better replacement than Azpi on the left, and why I think Iva and Azpi would be on par on the right flanks, because of Iva's tendency to be attracted towards the centre.

And a majestic trio in the midfield : Cesc, Oscar, Hazard who would roam between the lines, never really far from each other, and construct all the actions and dictate the game, with Hazard as the main chief of orchestra. It would mean practically freeing him of his defensive duties contrary to Oscar and Fabregas.

Up front, the duet of strikers would be compatible and clinically effective. The strengh of Costa/Drogba, the speed of Rémy/Schurrle, all four having more than decent finishing skills.

Wilian and Azpilicueta would be the main victims of this hypothetical new system. They would still get lots of playing time though, as first replacement to two positions each.

[The Skipper 20,593]

In my opinion the team is already pretty much built around Eden, he is the player with the most freedom to express theirselves in the team.

[Hkibou 622]

In my opinion the team is already pretty much built around Eden, he is the player with the most freedom to express theirselves in the team.

Not like it was under the last six months with Rudi Garcia and the LOSC though. Having seen him being outstanding in that role for six months makes me see how underused/ill-used he is if indeed Mourinho's main objective is to build the team around Hazard and make him shine.

So let me rephrase the question then, do you think the current 4-2-3-1 is the best way to make Hazard shine ?

[Hutcho 8,443]

I don't think it really needs changing and its not really specifically built around one player.

Hazard has the freedom where he plays to do what he is great at and take guys on and cut inside. But we also have a great deep (er) lying playmaker now who can feed a prolific striker, and Oscar who is really starting to put in great performances.

I don't think this team is built around EH10 or should be built around anyone in particular. Just make sure our best players have the ability to do what their great at, and luckily for us we have several and not just one.

I also think that Hazard central and someone else on the left is not as good for the team as Hazard left and oscar central.

[DazLaughlan 55]

I think the system is fine for him to flourish right now, he has the freedom to roam pretty much all the time. It's upto him to shine. I think he is still developing to play to his strengths and it won't be long untill he hits the next level of ability, which is pretty big considering how good he is atm.

[iseah100 5,612]

It's never wise to build around one player.

[Tomo 21,733]

Build it around him but also maintain the team balance which let's be honest is practically happening anyway.

That's why I'm not convinced about the Reus rumours, to supplement Eden s freedom Oscar and Willian run around like dogs to maintain the balance of the team, will Reus do that? Because for as long as Hazard is here this team is his, hypothetically speaking. That's why Sanchez would have been perfect for this team, he does donkey work with the end product Willy lacks, him and Eden together would have eclipsed Duff and Robben.

[Nike 373]

Start hazard in the middle and Jose going to need to drop cesc in a 4-2-3-1....

Chelsea's defense is great because of the 4 brazilians pressing like dogs.... No brazilian press, chelsea defense would be ordinary....Oscar pressing is really key to jose defense... Hazard given the free role, would be potentially juan mata again, except this time chelsea has matic instead of a slow mikel and cesc instead of an old lampard...

It could work, but Hazard and cesc are chelsea weakess/liabilites defensively.... And if you put them both in the middle.....

I would expect counter attack heaven for opposition teams and both cahill/terry to be exposed...

[The Skipper 20,593]

Not like it was under the last six months with Rudi Garcia and the LOSC though. Having seen him being outstanding in that role for six months makes me see how underused/ill-used he is if indeed Mourinho's main objective is to build the team around Hazard and make him shine.

So let me rephrase the question then, do you think the current 4-2-3-1 is the best way to make Hazard shine ?

Lille isn't really that viable of an analogy because Eden was by far the most talented in the team there, whilst here we have world class players in other positions. It's not the smartest thing to build your whole team around one player, especially at a leading club who have the financial muscle power to be amongst the best in the world and huge aspirations such as our selves.

In Eden we have an absolute gem. We still need a cohesive structure though as a top, top team - in essence we have a golden crown and Eden is the main, most attractive gem on it.

I think the current system is fine for Eden, as I said before he still has the most freedom in the team.

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

Why fix it if it's not broken???

[coolhead23 1,146]

Not like it was under the last six months with Rudi Garcia and the LOSC though. Having seen him being outstanding in that role for six months makes me see how underused/ill-used he is if indeed Mourinho's main objective is to build the team around Hazard and make him shine.

So let me rephrase the question then, do you think the current 4-2-3-1 is the best way to make Hazard shine ?

Honestly it is a big jump from Lille to Chelsea (no disrespect to Lille) so lets not compare the 2 team scenarios. Today Alexis Sanchez looks like a god at Arsenal.

For me, Hazard use to carry the team when at Lille to now he is sharing responsibility ... He is given quite a free role in the team which shows that we do depend on him a lot which can be translated to have the team built around in some capacity. As some one pointed out we dont have to built the team around a single person ... i completely second that ... For me the greatness of this team will be that they play as "team", everyone knows what they need to do and they contribute accordingly.

[chelseafc9010 224]

I think we just need more quality from the right. Willian hasn't got that end product, Shurrle can't make a simple pass or driblle and Ivanovic is a center back. Fix the right side, more players will then be pulled to the right to make space on the left.

[Barbara 15,149]

In my opinion the team is already pretty much built around Eden, he is the player with the most freedom to express theirselves in the team.

Like I disagreed with someone else in another thread, I'll disagree with you. The team isn't remotely close built around him imo. For me, having a team built around a player means two things: 1) he has total freedom; 2) his teammates seek him all the time. Eden takes matters into his hands many times, but he still has defensive responsibilities and Mourinho keeps demanding it from him - and when he fails, Mourinho points it out.

He doesn't receive the ball enough to have the team around him. When a team is built around a player, his teammates seek him out. It happened with Mata here, it happens with Ronaldo, with Messi, Neymar (for Brazil).

He sometimes carries the team and he's the brilliant player in this squad, but I can't for one second say the team is already built around him. I think it will in the future - but José won't do it until he's consistent enough and we have balance enough elsewhere - but I don't see it now. I see him being the player that makes a difference. But then again, so do Costa and Fàbregas.

Also I feel Fàbregas right now controls our performances more than Hazard does. It has nothing to do with controlling tempo, but controlling the performances. If he's playing well, we mostly do play well as a team, if he isn't, we don't. And that's when Hazard has come to rescue a few times. I'm in no way implying the team is built around Cesc - it isn't - but our quality definitely has been. More often than not when a team is built around a player, it becomes dependable on that player. So many times when that player doesn't have a good day, the whole team feels it and many times struggles. Of course RM and Barça have many other resources, but you can say that when Ronaldo or Messi have bad days in the office, their performance isn't anywhere close to the norm, unless some other player in the squad really shines. In that sense - collectively - I feel Chelsea are more dependable on Cesc than on Hazard right now.

[lionsden 4,689]

You build the around 1) The most important player in your team, II) The most productive and consistent player. Hazard doesn't qualify under this terms. The team should be built around one of Costa, or Fabregas

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Costa is consistently banging goals, can't be ignored.

Fabregas is having the most touches in the team and completed passes stats are high.

When things are not going smoothly, then hazard takes matters into his hands at times.

The team is built around Hazard, fabregas and Costa imo

[lionsden 4,689]

Costa is consistently banging goals, can't be ignored.

Fabregas is having the most touches in the team and completed passes stats are high.

When things are not going smoothly, then hazard takes matters into his hands at times.

The team is built around Hazard, fabregas and Costa imo

I agree mostly with this. You build the team around your matchwinner(s)

[Styles 9,790]

Building the team around any one player (however good they are) is a recipe for disaster.* We need players who can operate within an overall team game and that can carry their own weight playing both sides of the game (defensively and in attack). If a player needs special treatment from the manager / team and requires too many adjustments to be made for him then he's more of a hindrance than a bonus.

Team > individual

*For example, the idea that the team is or should be built around Fabregas - a guy who can be easily nullified by a Fellaini - doesn't sit well with me.

[the wes 7,212]

this team will win chelsea the CL