Eden Hazard

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Orc

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No player in the world is near as good a dribbler as Messi, you're talking about a player who can beat six or seven players.
Like I said, if it's not Messi then Hazard is close behind. Statistically speaking here.

Neymar's dribbling style is like CR7's: lots of stepovers, flicks, tricks, lots of pace

Hazard's dribbling style is more like Messi's: low center of gravity, drop of the shoulder, turing players who get too close to him, phenomenal close control
 

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He's not the superior dribbler. Flashier, sure.

Hazard is probably the most effective dribbler in world football. If not, likely just behind Messi.
I'm sorry to quote you again, but that isn't a question of "if not", he's just not. It's Messi for crying out loud! He's never, ever, ever, more effective a dribbler than Messi.
 

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He's not the superior dribbler. Flashier, sure.

Hazard is probably the most effective dribbler in world football. If not, likely just behind Messi.
Neymar is more likely to get past 2 players than Hazard is. That's a superior dribbler.

The 2nd line of your post shows how much you overrate Hazard.

He's certainly a better finisher and more assertive than Hazard. Struggling to think of anything else he's superior at.

People forget that Eden is much more of a facilitator and creative player than a pure goal scorer. He's more comparable to someone like Ribery than he is to CR7.
Neymar isnt like Ronaldo either.
 

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Hazard is very close to Messi with his dribbling ability, it is part of what makes him the most dangerous player in England. Obviously he has not quite perfected the technique like Messi has but Hazard can skip past players for joke.
 

Orc

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I'm sorry to quote you again, but that isn't a question of "if not", he's just not. It's Messi for crying out loud! He's never, ever, ever, more effective a dribbler than Messi.
You're right, of coarse.

Here's the stats I was thinking of from an article a couple of months ago:
 

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He's certainly a better finisher and more assertive than Hazard. Struggling to think of anything else he's superior at.

People forget that Eden is much more of a facilitator and creative player than a pure goal scorer. He's more comparable to someone like Ribery than he is to CR7.
He's basically better at attacking. He scores shitloads more, is quicker, more direct, more skilful. More of a match winner, basically.

The last line is perfect because Ronaldo is better than Ribery.
 

Orc

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He's basically better at attacking. He scores shitloads more, is quicker, more direct, more skilful. More of a match winner, basically.

The last line is perfect because Ronaldo is better than Ribery.
Yeah, I wasn't trying to suggest that Ribery was better but rather that they're completely different types of players and almost incomparable.
 

amolbhatia50k

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You're right, of coarse.

Here's the stats I was thinking of from an article a couple of mone this ago:
I think you have to ask yourself whether firminio is a better dribbler than Messi.

Messi has lost that yard of pace that makes him piss over everyone from a skyscraper as a dribbler but he's clearly still the best at despite the loss in explosive pace.
 

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Yeah, I wasn't trying to suggest that Ribery was better but rather that they're completely different types of players and almost incomparable.
I'd agree that they're different but they are comparable for me.
 

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Like I said, if it's not Messi then Hazard is close behind. Statistically speaking here.

Neymar's dribbling style is like CR7's: lots of stepovers, flicks, tricks, lots of pace

Hazard's dribbling style is more like Messi's: low center of gravity, drop of the shoulder, turing players who get too close to him, phenomenal close control
As great as hazard is...he's nowhere near Messi, dribbling wise. Fact is, no one is. Not close.

I'd probably have hazard, robben in that next category with "similar" close control. But yeah hazard has the low centre of gravity as well which makes his dribbling more natural etc.
 

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As far as dribbling is concerned, robben is the 2nd best Imo.

Neymar and even Suarez would be ahead of hazard for me though Suarez does it very differently than the rest and doesn't do it as often either.
 

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Most people, including Chelsea fans will take it if a straight swap between Hazard and Neymar was available all other things being equal.

Neymar is a far superior finisher, has a lot more pace than hazard and only slightly worse dribbler than Hazard. That said, neigher of them can ever be as good as Messi or even Ronaldo.

EDIT: bloody hell, first time seen someone get banned in a thread I was posting. but hey its the arch-WUM of caf gone, so hurray.
 
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Most people, including Chelsea fans will take it if a straight swap between Hazard and Neymar was available all other things being equal.

Neymar is a far superior finisher, has a lot more pace than hazard and only slightly worse dribbler than Hazard. That said, neigher of them can ever be as good as Messi or even Ronaldo.
Agreed, and personally i don't really see them as that similar. Neymar seems a cut above, mainly due to his finishing.
 

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Most people, including Chelsea fans will take it if a straight swap between Hazard and Neymar was available all other things being equal.

Neymar is a far superior finisher, has a lot more pace than hazard and only slightly worse dribbler than Hazard. That said, neigher of them can ever be as good as Messi or even Ronaldo..
I wouldn't swap Hazard for Neymar in a million years.
 

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I wouldn't swap Hazard for Neymar in a million years.
Neymar would be a lot better fit for the way Jose plays, quite a bit better than Hazard. Have seen Hazard ruin quite a few counter attacks over the last 2 years plus Hazard's shooting is sub par. Imagine Fabregas and Oscar feeding passes into Neymar and Costa.
 

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Neymar would be a lot better fit for the way Jose plays, quite a bit better than Hazard. Have seen Hazard ruin quite a few counter attacks over the last 2 years plus Hazard's shooting is sub par.
Eden can open up games in a way I've never seen from a Chelsea player. I've followed the club for 35 years and he is simply the best I've ever seen play for us. Neymar is amazing (hell we were close to buying him, and I'd have been delighted!) but the only player in the world I'd rather have right now is Messi.
 

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Neymar would be a lot better fit for the way Jose plays, quite a bit better than Hazard. Have seen Hazard ruin quite a few counter attacks over the last 2 years plus Hazard's shooting is sub par. Imagine Fabregas and Oscar feeding passes into Neymar and Costa.
Hazard's ability to carry the ball from one half to the other is crucial to Chelsea, when they look to sit deeper and break. He's one of hardest players (if not the hardest) to dispossess. Neymar's a great dribbler, but in a different way, and I don't think he'd fit Chelsea as well.
 

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Eden can open up games in a way I've never seen from a Chelsea player. I've followed the club for 35 years and he is simply the best I've ever seen play for us. Neymar is amazing (hell we were close to buying him, and I'd have been delighted!) but the only player in the world I'd rather have right now is Messi.
So he's better than Ronaldo too? Suarez?

Well you had robben once. Had he stayed at Chelsea you'd have had an even better attacking player.
 

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So he's better than Ronaldo too? Suarez?

Well you had robben once. Had he stayed at Chelsea you'd have had an even better attacking player.
Ronaldo's age is the reason I wouldn't make that swap. I have had the feeling for a while that Ronaldo is building up to an injury that's going to cut his career short.

I'd certainly rather have Eden than Robben though, at any age. Suarez doesn't even enter into the conversation.
 

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Ronaldo's age is the reason I wouldn't make that swap. I have had the feeling for a while that Ronaldo is building up to an injury that's going to cut his career short.

I'd certainly rather have Eden than Robben though, at any age. Suarez doesn't even enter into the conversation.
I wouldn't swap Hazard for Neymar in a million years.
You don't actually think he's better than them though, do you?
 

amolbhatia50k

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Ronaldo's age is the reason I wouldn't make that swap. I have had the feeling for a while that Ronaldo is building up to an injury that's going to cut his career short.

I'd certainly rather have Eden than Robben though, at any age. Suarez doesn't even enter into the conversation.
Ah okay I thought it was just a player comparison not taking age into account.

Hazard is still to reach robben's level clearly. He can given he's young and his progression has been upward since a young age. Suarez is obviously a step above I'm sure you'd admit but yeah he's a striker so it's not like you could even swap.
 

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Eden can open up games in a way I've never seen from a Chelsea player. I've followed the club for 35 years and he is simply the best I've ever seen play for us. Neymar is amazing (hell we were close to buying him, and I'd have been delighted!) but the only player in the world I'd rather have right now is Messi.
True, but does not make him better than players at other clubs. Hazard is actually much slower for the type of game Mourinho would like to play. That said he is still easily in top 10 players in the world so its not too bad.

Hazard's ability to carry the ball from one half to the other is crucial to Chelsea, when they look to sit deeper and break. He's one of hardest players (if not the hardest) to dispossess. Neymar's a great dribbler, but in a different way, and I don't think he'd fit Chelsea as well.
A player who wants to keep posession in a team that does not care for posession. Thats the number one sign that he is a bit of a misfit. He hardly ever hits out first time passes while in a counter.
 

amolbhatia50k

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Robben will be remembered as one of the great wingers IMO. Absolutely top drawer. His only issue was injures at a young age and that spell at Madrid. A lot of time wasted back then. The player he later became and now is was/is phenomenal.
 

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Ah okay I thought it was just a player comparison not taking age into account.

Hazard is still to reach robben's level clearly. He can given he's young and his progression has been upward since a young age. Suarez is obviously a step above I'm sure you'd admit but yeah he's a striker so it's not like you could even swap.
Robben and Suarez are the finished article. What I see from Hazard is a breathtaking talent that's improving year on year. I genuinely think he'll win the Ballon D'Or within the next three years*, so the idea of swapping him with another player other than Messi wouldn't make sense to me.

*Just to be clear, I'm in no way saying he will be better than Messi. Messi is to me the greatest player who has ever lived, but that doesn't mean he'll win the Ballon every year as we've seen.
 

amolbhatia50k

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True, but does not make him better than players at other clubs. Hazard is actually much slower for the type of game Mourinho would like to play. That said he is still easily in top 10 players in the world so its not too bad.


A player who wants to keep posession in a team that does not care for posession. Thats the number one sign that he is a bit of a misfit. He hardly ever hits out first time passes while in a counter.
This is something I feel he can improve on. He does a lot of pointless stuff. Going into alleys that lead nowhere or holding on to the ball far too much. He's not economical in what he does. Still very young of course.
 

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Neymar is well ahead of Hazard at the moment at almost everything, id take Neymar any day.

Hazard is a good player and deserved player of the year but he's a bit overrated imo he needs to add more goals to his game.
 

amolbhatia50k

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Robben and Suarez are the finished article. What I see from Hazard is a breathtaking talent that's improving year on year. I genuinely think he's win the Ballon D'Or within the next three years*, so the idea of swapping him with another player other than Messi wouldn't make sense to me.

Just to be clear, I'm in no way saying he will be better than Messi. Messi is to me the greatest player who has ever lived, but that doesn't mean he'll win the Ballon every year as we've seen.
You just said robben at any age. Obviously swapping him for 30 plus Ronaldo and Robben makes no sense.
 

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Ronaldo's age is the reason I wouldn't make that swap. I have had the feeling for a while that Ronaldo is building up to an injury that's going to cut his career short.

I'd certainly rather have Eden than Robben though, at any age. Suarez doesn't even enter into the conversation.
You'd have Hazard over Robben of the past few years at Bayern ? The latter has been on a different level imo.
 

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A player who wants to keep posession in a team that does not care for posession. Thats the number one sign that he is a bit of a misfit. He hardly ever hits out first time passes while in a counter.
I may be totally wrong, but I've always had the impression that if, for example, Chelsea are a goal or two up and sitting deep, they often plan to break and then slow the game down once they enter the final third. The plan isn't always to break and head straight for goal.

I remember them doing this a lot against Arsenal, early in the season. This is where Hazard comes in handy. No doubt he could improve and add directness to his game though.
 
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