It's pretty pathetic isn't it? He'd be rated higher if he hunted for goals against fodder like most of these other guys despite the game already being won.
It's all about the numbers game for people nowadays.
Eden Hazard 16/17 Performances
- Thread starter BlueCelery
- Start date
It's all about the numbers game for people nowadays.
You cannot be considered that good if you don't have the consistency that comes with it. On his day he is fantastic, an amazing player to watch but consistency is what seperates the good from the absolute greats.
When you consider how great he was at Lille, the way he has developped is slightly disappointing. He had the potential to be a Ballon d'Or winner.
still does
He needs to be more effective, its as simple as that.
Potential is there but that ship has sailed IMHO. Not strong enough mentaly to reach for this.
Nothing to do with mentality imo just think he hasn't figured the game out to a level where he can be effective all the time. Sometimes with players it just clicks and they finally get it, sometimes it doesn't happen. Earlier on this season he showed signs that he finally could be getting there, then lost his way again. Maybe next time it will stick.
I think it has to do with it, I mean self-belief that you're the best and you will prove it in most matches. "Average" productivity in comparison to his competition is also a problem.
The impression i get is he doesn't care. He's happy with the level he's at now doesn't care to get better. With his talent, he should be the best player on the pitch in 30 out of 38 games. He came close to that in 2013/14 and 2014/15, but has since taken a step backwards
Hazard isn't a high frequency goal scorer, which isn't a problem at all. His main strength has always been initiating attacks rather than finishing them. He is about linking up the attacks of his team and setting up others more than getting on the score sheet himself. Even in his POTY season 14/15 he has scored just 11 goals that weren't from penalties.
Although he is a great 1:1 player and able to score goals, his game is mainly about helping to create attacks with his passing, often taking over as a playmaker as early as the transition phase. He routinely sets himself up to receive the ball in some stage of transition, which is normally in midfield or deep in Chelsea's half. He also often drops to a positionally flexible CAM role when Chelsea has possession around the opponent's box. During counters, he rarely is the target player, but mostly the one carrying the ball and releasing someone else.
When interpreting his main task as linking up Chelsea's attacks instead of finishing them (doing the penetration/shooting/scoring on top of that), it may become clear why he already is one of the best offensive players in the world. And much more consistent than he gets credit for. And also why it's a misunderstanding to compare him to goalscoring forwards like Ronaldo and their statistical numbers.
I think a lot of the criticism he gets has to do with expecting the wrong things while overlooking what he is so damn good at.
Although he is a great 1:1 player and able to score goals, his game is mainly about helping to create attacks with his passing, often taking over as a playmaker as early as the transition phase. He routinely sets himself up to receive the ball in some stage of transition, which is normally in midfield or deep in Chelsea's half. He also often drops to a positionally flexible CAM role when Chelsea has possession around the opponent's box. During counters, he rarely is the target player, but mostly the one carrying the ball and releasing someone else.
When interpreting his main task as linking up Chelsea's attacks instead of finishing them (doing the penetration/shooting/scoring on top of that), it may become clear why he already is one of the best offensive players in the world. And much more consistent than he gets credit for. And also why it's a misunderstanding to compare him to goalscoring forwards like Ronaldo and their statistical numbers.
I think a lot of the criticism he gets has to do with expecting the wrong things while overlooking what he is so damn good at.
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I think it also stems from the fact that he has shown that he is capable of skipping past challenges and finishing superbly, but just doesn't try to do it as often as others with similar ability. Wanting more to pass it off instead is not inherently a bad trait at all, but I don't think anyone would complain too much if he showed a tiny bit of selfishness once in a while.
No, people want him to score 30 goals every season.
He isn't as good as sanchez who shows up 99% of the time, be it a weak team or a top team, but he is a great player.
I think he's a lot more talented than Sanchez but still a bit of a baby. If he ever grows up he's the talent to be the best in the world. But I love Sanchez's fearless attitude and would prefer him at United personally.
From Mourinho's comments, I doubt it will happen. He's just a really nice boy apparently and it sounds like he lacks the determination to hit the heights his talent deserves.
Hazard looks better on the ball I think as he has tighter dribbling and better short passing but Sanchez is much more effective and has more to his game. In terms of end product it isn't close in my eyes.
True but that's a mental thing, Hazard can do almost anything he wants with the ball at his feet, he just goes missing when it's not running his way atm. Sanchez is a bit of a warrior, especially for his national team. Should never have gone to Arsenal, he would have fitted like a glove at United.
He's a midfielder who has played 23 games in the league this season and scores 10 wth 3 assists. Seems pretty consistent to me. He's been terrific this season, however he's been playing with a minor injury for the last few weeks, which is why he hasn't stood out like he normally does. Except of course he just scored a contender for goal of the season. While injured.
That's the great thing about sanchez, he is a warrior out there. Its shocking we didn't go all out to get him and that we backed down on hazard, two of the best players in the league by a distance.
The PL alone isn't enough, even if he has been good this season and he needs to do it in the CL where he has been a bit disappointing so far. Next season will be giving us a real indication on his level.
He is a great talent but I still see a player who isn't playing at the level his talent can allow him to. Massively disappointing in the Euros too.
What is this nonsense about him not being consistent? I'm sick & tired of people holding last season against him.
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He'll most likely win Player of the Year again this season.
And no one's winning a Balon D'or until Messi retires anyway.
It is not about winning the ballon d'Or per say but considered among the top 5-10-15 in the world. Hazard needs to perform in the CL too
Because he has abilities & responsibilities these others don't have and does things for his team these others don't do (Suarez, Sanchez, Ronaldo were named in here). And vice versa of course. But it's apples and oranges, really.
The only player who is both a main playmaker and a main goalscorer on the highest level is Messi, but he's a freak. Everyone else is more specialized. And Hazard is a mix of a creative forward and an organising midfielder, not a roaming forward/striker like the ones mentioned above. The better and quicker the combinations of his team in the final third are, the more he'll get in scoring positions himself. But when this doesn't happen, he'll try to contribute more to the ball circulation itself instead of forcing solo goals.
I'd expect him to go for more penetration if he played for Real with players like Modric, Kroos, Isco, Marcelo taking over playmaking duties in various areas of the pitch. (Although never as much as a true goalscorer.) But in addition to him simply not being a forward/striker like Suarez or Ronaldo, he's also primarily needed elsewhere at Chelsea.
Kanté and Matic are decent passers, but not playmakers in the narrower sense. Fabregas is a creative playmaker, but he rarely plays this season. Pedro is good, but not at Hazard's level. Costa is a hard worker and good allrounder, but not that creative. The same goes for the wing backs. That leaves Hazard as the main creative force in Chelsea's team. The team needs his support for linking midfield and attack and for orchestrating possession/initiating attacks in more static situations. So he often works in deeper areas than the goalscorers mentioned above. If he'd constantly set himself up in potential goalscoring positions, he'd be missing in the earlier stages of their attacks, where his input is crucial.
So I think people mainly say he goes "missing" because they don't notice what he's doing. They mostly seem to notice what he doesn't do compared to those quasi-striker types, but don't see what he offers instead. Naturally, the result is pretty lopsided then.
He's already top 10 in the world.
This season yes
No he isn't.
Will be interesting to see how he performs in the CL next season. He's been poor there.
The mentality question marks are fair imo. He was very poor last season. Wasn't there an interview he gave last year regarding scoring goals and it made people question his desire to be the best?
The mentality question marks are fair imo. He was very poor last season. Wasn't there an interview he gave last year regarding scoring goals and it made people question his desire to be the best?
His main tasks in a team is creating chances and scoring goals, and he needs to be doing more of it. He hasnt even hit 20 goals in a season let alone 30. Out of interest where is he on the chance creation list in the league?
Name 10 players better than him?
Yes he is. He's criticized because people want him to be indisputably Top 3 at worst.
He should hit 20 this season but keep in mind we have no secondary creator on the team with Cesc sitting much of it. Majority of his goals are due to individual brilliance.
He isn't getting the tap ins other players do.
Overall? Neymar, Messi, Ronaldo, Suarez, Iniesta, Modric, Lewandowski, De Gea, Neuer, Griezmann, Godin, Sanchez(Depending on form), Robben(Depending on injuries etc), Alaba.
Then you've got players who could overtake him in a few years - Dybala, Martial, Mbappe, Dembele, Coman, to name a few.
Hazard has the potential to be in discussion for best in the world but I feel like he has to add goals to his game. A player with his ability and directness should be scoring more imo.
Seriously? You'd have people like Alaba and Godin ahead of Eden? I don't even know how to respond to that..
This idea that you have to score 30 goals a season to be a top player is ridiculous, and only came about because of the crazy stats Messi and Ronaldo put out. No-one ever put those kind of expectations on Zidane or even Ronaldinho who never scored more than 21 in a season. Hazard is top 3 on good days and top 10 on most others. If he moved right now we'd be talking at minimum an £80m transfer, and more likely £100-150m. He is frankly brilliant.
Alaba and Godin are amongst the best in the world in their position. Also no-one is claiming Hazard isn't a top player, but to be in the conversation for BPITW as an attacker you need to score or be involved in a greater number of goals than Hazard currently is. There's more to the game than stats but ultimately goals win games. Currently I don't think he influences games enough in terms of an end product to be a genuine Ballon D'or contender.
Godin's been one of the best(arguably the best CB) for the past 3-4 seasons. He was the heart of Atletico's incredible defense during their superb 2013-2014 season and was superb during their incredible defensive 2015-2016 season too. Don't see how it's silly. He's performed in the League and the CL. Something Hazard hasn't done.
Same with Alaba. It's definitely arguable. Nowhere near as clear cut as you think it is.
Can't believe I've just read that a couple of defenders, a couple of keepers (
) and a couple of midfielders in Iniesta and Robben who are clearly over their peak are better than Hazard. Christ on a bike.
) and a couple of midfielders in Iniesta and Robben who are clearly over their peak are better than Hazard. Christ on a bike.10 players in general? Messi, Cristiano, Dracula, Neymar, Bale, Griezmann, Diego Costa, Lewandowski, Robben, Modric, Iniesta, Higuain, Dybala, Naingolann, Vidal, De Bruyne, Sanchez
On current season performances? Maybe he cracks the top 10 actually.
On current season performances? Maybe he cracks the top 10 actually.
It's really a minor point, but have you watched Alaba for Bayern and Austria over the past 18 months or so?
The ones highlighted are laughable. Come back with a better list and not FIFA 17 oriented.
I think there are only 4 players who I can unequivocally say are currently better than Hazard: Messi, CR7, Neymar, and Suarez. Any other attacking player you name there's a legitimate argument about which is better.
Biased opinion and all that but I wouldn't swap Hazard for any other wide player in the world other than Neymar. Sanchez, no. Bale, no. Robben at his current level, no.
Biased opinion and all that but I wouldn't swap Hazard for any other wide player in the world other than Neymar. Sanchez, no. Bale, no. Robben at his current level, no.
I'd take any one of those over hazard. I don't play FIFA either
