It's a bit like if Valverde used Messi as a target-man for hoofball and then proceeded to sub him off when needing a goal two times in a row.

He's be sacked on the spot and i am starting to think Conte should be too.

 

I'm starting to think there's no way these 2 can coexist at the same club, and if it came down to a choice between Conte or Hazard, I'd rather Hazard stays.

And TBH if Conte is leaving, I'd rather Conte leaves sooner rather than later as by the time a new manager would come in Hazard might of already made up his mind to leave.

I'd be gutted if he leaves due to Conte's god awful tactics. 

The really annoying thing is we already knew Eden as a false 9 didn’t work before Conte even arrived. He’s not the first manager to try it.

I think the false 9 could work in some games, but the way we use it, is totally ineffective. 

I wouldn't really call it a false 9 either. 

If you have 3 small fast players up top, surely we have to be playing it the their feet, or in space for them to run onto it. 

Instead hazard is getting balls lumped up to him head height. It's crazy. That throw in in the 1st half, I think it was moses, he just threw it at the defenders head. 

Then we end up with 2 target men on, and instead of lumping the ball forward, and throwing in crosses, were playing 5 yard passes on the half way line! 

Mind boggling stuff. 

I can't see why hazard, or any top attacker, would want to play in our side at the moment. 

He sounds pretty miffed about our style of play and performance in yesterday's game: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/mar/05/eden-hazard-chelsea-antonio-conte-manchester-city-premier-league

"When you leave the pitch you have the impression that you’ve ran [a lot], but that you haven’t played a game of football. That’s a pity. We could have played on for three hours, and I [still] wouldn’t touch a ball. It went a bit better only at the end: in the last 10-15 minutes we had more possession. But we should have tried to do that all game.

I don’t know [whether I can play as a lone striker]. When the manager plays me up front, I try to give everything. We haven’t played a good game. For me personally it’s difficult to play a good game, when you only touch the ball three times.

I tried to jump [for long balls] but against Otamendi and Laporte it is not easy.

It was difficult. Against Barcelona we had at least a few chances. In that game we could have scored. Today we didn’t create any. It was complicated. Certainly to find an answer to their pressing. Once we had the ball, we were immediately surrounded by three or four players. We have also wasted some simple passes. We haven’t played a good game. We are going to work hard to perform better next week.”

False 9 against Palace?

38 minutes ago, PloKoon13 said:

He sounds pretty miffed about our style of play and performance in yesterday's game: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/mar/05/eden-hazard-chelsea-antonio-conte-manchester-city-premier-league

 

 

He certainly does.

If that's what he said publicly imagine what he must be thinking privately.

12 minutes ago, 2211 said:

He certainly does.

If that's what he said publicly imagine what he must be thinking privately.

Heh, probably not "it was complicated".

Don't expect to see Eddie at the Bridge next year, he's won two titles with CFC and instead of kicking on and making a fist of defending those titles and 

a good showing in the CL  (actually being competitive with the bigger European teams) the club has done the opposite & caved in both times (know there's 

still a slim chance of top 4 and an even slimmer chance of getting past Barca) - if Real offer him and the club a ton of money in the summer to move, then bye bye.

There was a point yesterday where we had a good counter but Pedro f**ked up the pass to Hazard and he looked like he wanted to cry! I actually felt sorry for him. 

Conte is making the one mistake that he cannot be forgiven for.  He is asking our most creative player to be structured and work in a disciplined, focused manner.  He is not giving him freedom anymore, he is asking him to do too much and focus on very specific things, instead of flourish offensively in his desired position out wide.  Hazard had all the freedom last year and early this year too.  But when Conte wants to go in a shell and defend for 1.5 hours he is literally killing us.  Eden is 100% right, you cannot ask him to do the things Antonio is doing.  He quite literally is not built for it, and EVEN if he is the best player we have to do what Antonio wants, he is still wasted.  I would rather lose 4 or 5 to 1 if it meant we were at least playing to our strengths.  Right now we are sitting back passive as can be, watching teams pass us by.  

Any chance we have of keeping Hazard is being chipped away every time we play this stupid formation.  

It's a sad state of affairs when Mourinho can get the better out of an attacking player like Hazard than Conte can. 

Hazard in 2014-2015 was his best season in a Chelsea shirt, at the moment we can't even get the ball to him. If he does put in a transfer request at the end of the season Conte & the board have to take a fair share of the blame. 

I hate Conte for destroying our little Belgian magician. Conte is dull garbage, f**k OFF YOU ARE WENGER‘S BITCH.

2 hours ago, ZAYN-CFC said:

I hate Conte for destroying our little Belgian magician. Conte is dull garbage, f**k OFF YOU ARE WENGER‘S BITCH.

Can you also f**k off with your hyperbole drenched, entitled, whining posts? 

Thanks. 

4 hours ago, Slojo said:

It's a sad state of affairs when Mourinho can get the better out of an attacking player like Hazard than Conte can. 

Hazard in 2014-2015 was his best season in a Chelsea shirt, at the moment we can't even get the ball to him. If he does put in a transfer request at the end of the season Conte & the board have to take a fair share of the blame. 

You are right but 2015-16 Hazard was far less impressive and was one of the players criticized for downing tools when Jose departed. 

7 minutes ago, forbzy said:

You are right but 2015-16 Hazard was far less impressive and was one of the players criticized for downing tools when Jose departed. 

Oh absolutely, but one bad season doesn't dismiss a good season, just like vice versa. 

If Mourinho can get the best out of Hazard's offensive attributes, the most negative manager in the world then what on earth does that say about Conte this season?

1 minute ago, Slojo said:

Oh absolutely, but one bad season doesn't dismiss a good season, just like vice versa. 

If Mourinho can get the best out of Hazard's offensive attributes, the most negative manager in the world then what on earth does that say about Conte this season?

Agreed. I was making the same point in a way. Both Jose and Conte got the best out of Hazard in the title winning seasons. But he became much more peripheral when things went wrong for both of them. Conte's 2 seasons here have had a lot in common with Jose's last 2 here. Not to mention Carlo's 2 seasons here

2 minutes ago, forbzy said:

Agreed. I was making the same point in a way. Both Jose and Conte got the best out of Hazard in the title winning seasons. But he became much more peripheral when things went wrong for both of them. Conte's 2 seasons here have had a lot in common with Jose's last 2 here. Not to mention Carlo's 2 seasons here

But with Jose we were defensive and very pragmatic, under Conte Hazard has 0 defensive duties and we still can't utilise him correctly, we can't get the ball to him. Hazard had the ball in the oppositions half a lot more under Mourinho than he ever has under Conte. 

2 minutes ago, Slojo said:

But with Jose we were defensive and very pragmatic, under Conte Hazard has 0 defensive duties and we still can't utilise him correctly, we can't get the ball to him. Hazard had the ball in the oppositions half a lot more under Mourinho than he ever has under Conte. 

Even with our inconsistent form this season Hazard has been one of our better players. He had his worst season for us when Jose was shown the door. The city game was hard to watch for many reasons and especially the way hazard was used. But he has still been used well in many other games

6 hours ago, IliyaKrostin said:

That picture makes him look like the natural successor to Jimmy Floyd

14 hours ago, Ernie_blue said:

False 9 against Palace?

I fear he also might get the luiz/costa treatment, made to sit out? Which would mean pedro/willian as false 9. Cant wait.

I didn't think we'd keep Hazard even this long; so i'm somewhat less broken if he leaves. Disappointed for sure, and worried, but i'd instantly get onto Youtube, rewatch everything i can of him, and bask in the glory of having been weakly attached to the same social group as him. He made me love football again.
Before Hazard, this was a game of results to me (the opposite life of an Arsenal fan). Post-Hazard, there's nothing better than simply appreciating talent - appreciating art in motion. The rest is secondary.  
It's a damn shame we didn't build around him properly so he and we could enjoy flourishing in all stages of all competitions. But, it's a been damn delight to have had a master create his best work in our own garden.

Edited March 6, 20188 yr by fiel

Needs to get his finger out and step up. Moaning about not getting touches or the lack of them is an excuse. How often did we see him looking for the ball or making himself available? City had no trouble dealing with him. Had it been Bakayoko doing as little as he did it would have led to a public lynching.