3 hours ago, JMaher94 said:

Bang average is a little harsh. You can see he was jaded against Spurs. Very good against City and got an assist today. Not much he could have done in the 6-0 defeat to City either. He hasn't been as good as the first half but I don't think he's been bang average.

Costa was truly shocking in the second half of the season both times we won the league.

By his own very high standards. He is still more useful than Willian.

Edited March 4, 20197 yr by axman2526

10 hours ago, axman2526 said:

At the moment he is doing a good impression of Diego Costa. Devastating first half of the season. Bang average second half so far.

I think this is more of a team dip in form from the start of the season than Hazard individually. He's still playing well, unlike Costa did.

Dare i say it but Eden is making the team imbalanced. He wants to play in the middle, see his heat map against Fulham, no left wing threat, compare to Willian on the right (not comparing output, just touches), his heatmap shows just how he pins back the opposition left flank.

I think a 4-2-3-1 formation is the answer, especially against teams like Fulham, we could play CHO and drop the left CM Kovacic. Could always switch back to become more defensive, just takes one sub.

15 hours ago, Gol15 said:

Not happy with him in the last game. He needs to step up his game because he looks like he's Willian.

I think we can allow him 2 off games after playing very well being a 1 man attack against man city for 2 hours last Sunday, he does need a rest maybe Thursday night? 

34 minutes ago, coco said:

Dare i say it but Eden is making the team imbalanced. He wants to play in the middle, see his heat map against Fulham, no left wing threat, compare to Willian on the right (not comparing output, just touches), his heatmap shows just how he pins back the opposition left flank.

I think a 4-2-3-1 formation is the answer, especially against teams like Fulham, we could play CHO and drop the left CM Kovacic. Could always switch back to become more defensive, just takes one sub.

 

 

Interesting. So the first one is for Hazard and second is for Willian? 

Hazard definitely has more of a free role, but I think that's also why Alonso/Emerson get exposed so much. I do feel that he has worked hard off the ball defensively, but often times he's positioned too far away to help on swift counterattacks.

Two tough questions that come to mind:

1) Does Hazard's attacking output justify such a free role? 

2) Is Sarri adjusting his tactics to accommodate Hazard's free role?

For question 1), I'm still leaning towards YES. Although his talents suggest that he can achieve more statistically, I think he is important enough for us that he should be given license and freedom to roam. 

For question 2), I'm not seeing it. I think Sarri is trying to persist with his system, without making adjustments to cater to Hazard's tendencies. I think Sarri is stuck in a Catch 22. He knows Hazard throws off our defensive balance, but he's also unwilling to change his system to accommodate Hazard. Hence playing Eden as a False 9 against Man City (which isn't a solution either, but at least makes us more defensively solid). 

I agree that 4-2-3-1 is a good bet for solving our defensive liabilities while also getting the best out of our best player. I just don't see Sarri changing his system unfortunately. 

 

 

I don't think Sarri has given Eden a free role, he just comes in field because nobody is there, no #10, he doesn't attack the goal line down the left very much at all, so with Emerson sat back (yes he sat back, even Cesar was more forward i checked the heat maps) we don't have anyone to get round the left flank. CHO played most of his football on the left before making the first team squad, plus it opens up his right foot for shots when he's on the left. Sarri should be trying these small changes in attack, i understand he needed to calm things down, and he has done with those two clean sheets against city/spuds, but now we need to concentrate on tweaking the attack.

2 hours ago, coco said:

I don't think Sarri has given Eden a free role, he just comes in field because nobody is there, no #10, he doesn't attack the goal line down the left very much at all, so with Emerson sat back (yes he sat back, even Cesar was more forward i checked the heat maps) we don't have anyone to get round the left flank. CHO played most of his football on the left before making the first team squad, plus it opens up his right foot for shots when he's on the left. Sarri should be trying these small changes in attack, i understand he needed to calm things down, and he has done with those two clean sheets against city/spuds, but now we need to concentrate on tweaking the attack.

Ah ok. So you're thinking of a CHO - Hazard - Pedro/Willian trio behind Higuain, with Hazard in the no. 10 role? I think that would definitely be very interesting with lots of firepower for opposing defences to worry about

I don't think Sarri has given Eden a free role either, but I do think he drifts around more than Sarri would like him to

I stand corrected on the Emerson part. Heat map shows he did hang back more, which hopefully means an adjustment by Sarri.

20 minutes ago, dustbin719 said:

Ah ok. So you're thinking of a CHO - Hazard - Pedro/Willian trio behind Higuain, with Hazard in the no. 10 role? I think that would definitely be very interesting with lots of firepower for opposing defences to worry about

I've been advocating for that formation too for a while.

Would be interesting to see.

Price just went up another £50M

 

Real looked terrible last night. Surely they would be better off spending big on a centre forward, and midfielder to replace modric. 

So where does Hazard play if he goes to Madrid? Vinicius is Real's best player at the moment and takes Eden's place. Imo this deal just doesn't work for anyone.

17 minutes ago, RIP Mourinho said:

So where does Hazard play if he goes to Madrid? Vinicius is Real's best player at the moment and takes Eden's place. Imo this deal just doesn't work for anyone.

I could see Hazard at PSG, often rumours about Neymar and other forward players aging and a few other Belgians there too.

22 minutes ago, RIP Mourinho said:

So where does Hazard play if he goes to Madrid? Vinicius is Real's best player at the moment and takes Eden's place. Imo this deal just doesn't work for anyone.

But wouldn't it be typically Madrid like to buy a player they don't really need? 

They've neglected buying a centre forward for about 5 years somehow and they're left with Benzema as their only real centre forward. 

Marcelo looks set for Juventus in the summer, Ramos and Modric are the wrong side of 30 but they'll probably throw £100m at Hazard. 

Same how they dropped good money on Courtois despite already have a very good goalkeeper in Navas. 

I think if mourinho goes back to Real Eden will stay here

.... and what if Jose comes back to us 

20 minutes ago, Strider6003 said:

I could see Hazard at PSG, often rumours about Neymar and other forward players aging and a few other Belgians there too.

Hasn't Eden said in numerous interviews he'll only ever go back to Lille if he goes back to France, which he has no intention to do.

1 minute ago, RIP Mourinho said:

Hasn't Eden said in numerous interviews he'll only ever go back to Lille if he goes back to France, which he has no intention to do.

Didn't know that though if Madrid do not come for him this season then he has to consider moving or staying at Chelsea with the latter in uncertain times both from RA situation and transfer ban. In that case he might reconsider. I think he wants a CL winners' medal and the clock is ticking for him.............

1 hour ago, Andy2461 said:

I think if mourinho goes back to Real Eden will stay here

I think the opposite. Hazard has said he would like to work under Mourinho again. 

45 minutes ago, big blue said:

I think the opposite. Hazard has said he would like to work under Mourinho again. 

Hmmm, reading between the lines I think what he actually meant was "NOT A f**kING CHANCE"!!

3 hours ago, big blue said:

Real looked terrible last night. Surely they would be better off spending big on a centre forward, and midfielder to replace modric. 

Apparently Modric’s replacement is in London rotating with Ross Barkley. 

17 minutes ago, Munkworth said:

Apparently Modric’s replacement is in London rotating with Ross Barkley. 

First i've heard of it but doesn't surprise me that Madrid would come knocking for Loftus-Cheek. Generational talent.

1 hour ago, Nibs said:

Hmmm, reading between the lines I think what he actually meant was "NOT A f**kING CHANCE"!!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/sport/amp/football/45851960

I was surprised aswell, but it's not as if the question was even setup in a way where hazard was just being respectful. I think he feels he let Mourinho down to some extent. 

Strong rumours that Real have contacted Jose about taking over and night happen by the weekend. 

Like others have said, I’m surprised Hazard would want to play for Jose again given that he said his style is more like Sarri. 

15 minutes ago, JM7 said:

Strong rumours that Real have contacted Jose about taking over and night happen by the weekend. 

Like others have said, I’m surprised Hazard would want to play for Jose again given that he said his style is more like Sarri. 

He has been vocal about wanting to work under Jose again before, I appreciate that was after the first time but I don’t think their relationship the second time was as bad as was made out. The lure of Jose & it being Madrid which to be fair he’s made no secret was his dream might pull him away. 

 

I’m sure he’d said he had made his decision a month or so ago yet I’ve still not seen anything more on it about what that decision actually is? I assume the club must know.