Love Hazard, amazing game today perhaps even better than Kane considering how poor most of the other CFC players were.  Yet to me, Matic is more important.  I mean, one of them had a great game and the other a poor one yet we lost convincingly. Weve won quite a few where Hazard wasnt at his best but Matic was.  However, who is most important really is almost irrelevant because both are essential if we are to taste success this season (as well as a few others)

Hazard has really taken his game on to another level in recent weeks...what's been so good to see is how he plays when getting a kicking (Stoke) or when chelsea are up against it (spurs)...far from shying away from the fight, he's the one taking it to them...all very well doing the business when everything is going rosy, but far more notable to do it when times are tough too

Edited January 1, 201511 yr by The Brit

Seem to be bumping this thread up after every game these days. I love how he's such a quality player for us, but it was worrying tonight, not just to see how bad the defence was, but also to see how lost of creativity we are going forward when hazard isn't included in it. I think costa has been great for us, but now it seems it's more than the striker issue that needed solving. 

I don't think creativity is the problem, we still scored 3 goals and are joint top scorers in the League. Costa, Hazard and Fabregas will create and score for fun. We just don't have anyone else who comes close to what Hazard offers us

Just wanted to say that I'm seeing big improvements from this guy. Without the ball he is making more dangerous runs than he ever has before. It's no coincidence that he's missed a slew of good chances recently (at least one a game), whereas before he wouldn't be in those positions to be able to miss. I think he'll 'click' fairly soon and start scoring for fun.

#Premonition

I don't think creativity is the problem, we still scored 3 goals and are joint top scorers in the League. Costa, Hazard and Fabregas will create and score for fun. We just don't have anyone else who comes close to what Hazard offers us

To be fair though, neither do any of the other teams. He would be the best player in any team in the league.

We need players that can match his output, either by creating (in which none of our other AMs are good enough) or scoring (same thing). Moving Fabregas forward can be a temporary solution but then we'd need better midfield options.

All our creating goes through the middle, though. How often do our wide men take on the defender and put in a cross to the box? Ivan ccan get forward, but his crosses are pretty awful 9 times out of 10. I would like to see some width used in games, not just barca style of play trying to walk it in. Sometimes old school wide play is needed in games. 

Edited January 1, 201511 yr by enigma

Absolutely fantastic today, didn't deserve to be on the losing side.

One more thing he has worked on is his shooting. He's starting to shoot more compared to the past. It's a good sign.

Honestly it is a privilege watching Eden play for us. Hope he stays for a long long time.

Apparently he can still get the young player of the year award. I think that's a bit ridiculous, considering he won the same award in France six seasons ago.

If Hazard stays here long term, I can certainly see him up there with John & Frank, he's breath taking to watch, and you can't fault his commitment after yesterday, absolutely great performance amongst a sea of shambolics. I pray we keep him here for the long haul, it's nice to be able to post something positive after last night!

And he still hasn't signed!

One of my critisims of him is he tends to go missing when the team is playing poor.

Produced a moment of magic in a dire first half at Southampton and was the only one who turned up vs Spurs.

Great sings. His evolution from great to world class is in process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVEt9Z-vfBo

Edited January 2, 201511 yr by FLYMJ

Only player that looked like he cared yesterday.  Hope we announce his new contract soon...not that contracts really mean that much these days

It seems we might be selling Thorgan Hazard to his current side in the Bundesliga.

 

Shame, he would have been a great foil for Willian and Oscar.

 

Real missed opportunity if this happens.

I just came across this picture somewhere?? veryyyy shocking?!!! Got to feel for Eden at the moment he gets tackled, hit , bruised, kicked to the ground and the official are just useless as ever something need to be done about it!!!!

I just came across this picture somewhere?? veryyyy shocking?!!! Got to feel for Eden at the moment he gets tackled, hit , bruised, kicked to the ground and the official are just useless as ever something need to be done about it!!!!

Sickening. Jose reckons Eden would eventually wish to leave the Premier League if the refs fail to start defending players like himself from being kicked all over the field.

I really hope it doesn't come to that.

Edited January 3, 201511 yr by AlexTommo

From what I hear, he doesn't mind it.

 

He's happy to win free kicks for the team. 

Sickening. Jose reckons Eden would eventually wish to leave the Premier League if the refs fail to start defending players like himself from being kicked all over the field.

I really hope it doesn't come to that.

That's what I fear will do it in the end. Eden is still young and will not want to have his career ended by thuggish defending across the country.

 

Defenders simply have no other way of stopping him rather than hacking him down time and again. Stunning that he doesn't get more penalty calls in his favour as he really takes a hammering week-in-week-out.

From what I hear, he doesn't mind it.

He's happy to win free kicks for the team.

And so it should be. It's not as if these are just random acts of violence against him. He has a very provocative style of play and it is a consequence of that. If you successfully tease defenders with the ball and then get your body between said defender and the ball, the most likely outcome is foul. Especially in advanced areas. He understands this. It helps us to win games. So no problem.

I'd happily be kicked in the shins twice a week if I was bringing £200k at the end of it.

And so it should be. It's not as if these are just random acts of violence against him. He has a very provocative style of play and it is a consequence of that. If you successfully tease defenders with the ball and then get your body between said defender and the ball, the most likely outcome is foul. Especially in advanced areas. He understands this. It helps us to win games. So no problem.

Elements of our game with elements from Ice Hockey, best players often getting lumps taken out of them.

 

Really is the job of Matic, Brana, Jt et al to protect our players like Eden. If someone like the Spurs thug defender, (a good way to refer to him as I would no doubt spell his name wrong), were to target Eden, would be there job to smash him. News flash Gary Cahill, you kicked the wrong Spurs player lol.

Really is the job of Matic, Brana, Jt et al to protect our players like Eden.

 

Problem is it's the referees job to protect players like Eden. But you say that then people lose their collective minds. "Deflecting criticism from the team" or "Blaming everyone else but himself"

Best player in the league and it's not even close, and yes im aware Aguero plays in the Prem too.