Eden Hazard | "It's time to enjoy life drinking beers"

kaiser1

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Look at you now. People used to pretend Hazard was such a talent that you would be lost without him. Now you have forwards who have less dribbling ability but actually carry the ball and play the quick pass when closed down and youre in a CL final, dominating big sides along the way.
Hazars did have off seasons but hes like every other playmaker for good sides who have everything go through him. Youll have good stats no matter unless you absolutely flop.
People tend to overrate players who dribble. If you are not using those dribbles to create chances it pretty much useless like what Neymar did on Tuesday.
KdB can the ball from his box take 2 touches and launch a long pass to a striker who scores while Hazard wants to take the ball dribble 3, pause turn around dribble 2 of those again. It annoys me seeing players dribble then pause(stop for some seconds) thereby allowing the defence to gather and cover. I recall Neymar doing that towards the end of the game on Tuesday he had a break dribbled, then paused and passed back.
In a pickup game in the park, this works not at top-level football as no one counts the number of dribbles.
Cr7 found this out around 2006 and became a GOAT as a result, Quaresma never did and is a joke
 

cyberman

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People tend to overrate players who dribble. If you are not using those dribbles to create chances it pretty much useless like what Neymar did on Tuesday.
KdB can the ball from his box take 2 touches and launch a long pass to a striker who scores while Hazard wants to take the ball dribble 3, pause turn around dribble 2 of those again. It annoys me seeing players dribble then pause(stop for some seconds) thereby allowing the defence to gather and cover. I recall Neymar doing that towards the end of the game on Tuesday he had a break dribbled, then paused and passed back.
In a pickup game in the park, this works not at top-level football as no one counts the number of dribbles.
Cr7 found this out around 2006 and became a GOAT as a result, Quaresma never did and is a joke
Imo dribblers who need space adds more to the attack than those few who dont. The likes of Bale etc tends to have a better cross / strike since they need to work positions to find that space and almost have different skill sets for when its not available. They need to be well rounded. Where as you will see Hazard carry the ball further into the box since space isnt a barrier and the tightening of it isnt a factor. But then theyre more likely to hog the ball since it takes more diclipline not to over complicate situations since every decent attacking position resembles each other so why should they play the simple pass now when i can drop a shoulder and open them up be it 20 yards out ot 40.
Bale or Ronaldo will work a position for a shot 20 yards or keep it moving until they get closer to goal but Hazard, Foden, Iniesta, Bernardo etc will get into the same position and try to commit defenders for a slide rule cross or something similar.
Thats just what i always thought. The Bale types are more common place now and can be called inside forwards but the little dribblers seems to be dying in numbers. Be it Rashford, Salah etc it seems doing little turns and feints in the box is being coached out of them. Both were great at it years ago but theyve gotten worse at it as they have become better players.
 

NasirTimothy

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Was over rated at Chelsea, and is exposed at Real Madrid. More of a premium marketing name than anything else.
Nah, he’s a quality player. Maybe not the most consistent in the PL (and obviously has had a nightmare in Spain thus far) but at his best he’s a tremendous talent
People tend to overrate players who dribble. If you are not using those dribbles to create chances it pretty much useless like what Neymar did on Tuesday.
KdB can the ball from his box take 2 touches and launch a long pass to a striker who scores while Hazard wants to take the ball dribble 3, pause turn around dribble 2 of those again. It annoys me seeing players dribble then pause(stop for some seconds) thereby allowing the defence to gather and cover. I recall Neymar doing that towards the end of the game on Tuesday he had a break dribbled, then paused and passed back.
In a pickup game in the park, this works not at top-level football as no one counts the number of dribbles.
Cr7 found this out around 2006 and became a GOAT as a result, Quaresma never did and is a joke
This is such an ignorant post. I can’t put it any more nicely than that, I’m afraid. People overrate players that dribble? What you mean like Pele, Maradona, Messi, Cruyff and George Best? All overrated of course.

Please stop it. Dribbling is a very difficult thing to do effectively, which is why players that can do it well are rated.
 

kaiser1

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This is such an ignorant post. I can’t put it any more nicely than that, I’m afraid. People overrate players that dribble? What you mean like Pele, Maradona, Messi, Cruyff and George Best? All overrated of course.

Please stop it. Dribbling is a very difficult thing to do effectively, which is why players that can do it well are rated.
Most of the players you named played over 30yrs ago when the style of football was different, It was more one on one marking and once you dribble one person you have space, now teams mark in zones and crowd you easily, you will dribble them but crowd you out and you achieve nothing

This link is a list of top dribblers in Europe and only Neymar and Messi are in CL level clubs most are in clubs that are not even good enough to make Europa. There is a reason top managers are not signing Maxim, Zaha, Januzaj, Adama Traore, Jeremy Boga and Soufal. If you are dribble dependent, most top coaches will drop you to the bench

https://www.planetfootball.com/quic...0-dribblers-2020-21-neymar-mbappe-messi-more/
 

NasirTimothy

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Honestly, when I read some of the terrible takes on this thread, it genuinely makes me believe that Inzaghi would be rated above Kaka if they both played today.

This obsession with stats is so boring. It’s obvious how good Hazard was at his peak if you know how to watch football.
This is a bad example because Kaka and Inzaghi’s career totals are actually not that far apart (though Inzaghi has more). I totally take your point though. You determine greatness by watching people play, not just through stats.
 

NasirTimothy

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Most of the players you named played over 30yrs ago when the style of football was different, It was more one on one marking and once you dribble one person you have space, now teams mark in zones and crowd you easily, you will dribble them but crowd you out and you achieve nothing

This link is a list of top dribblers in Europe and only Neymar and Messi are in CL level clubs most are in clubs that are not even good enough to make Europa. There is a reason top managers are not signing Maxim, Zaha, Januzaj, Adama Traore, Jeremy Boga and Soufal. If you are dribble dependent, most top coaches will drop you to the bench

https://www.planetfootball.com/quic...0-dribblers-2020-21-neymar-mbappe-messi-more/
Complete rubbish. Here’s a list of the top 100 from 3 years ago, most of the best teams in the world are represented.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www....d-and-theres-a-surprise-no1-20180226.amp.html
 

kaiser1

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tjb

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He's been called a flop at Madrid mainly due to injuries not necessarily due to performances. He was playing really well until Muirnier made a bad tackle and he hurt his ankle. Hazard last season with us i dont think ive seen someone top that many individual statistics before, he's a brilliant player, nothing to do with being selfish. Sanchez legs had gone when he went to United though, He's mostly on the bench at Inter. No your fans chant " Attack, Attack, Attack Attack" like your'e the only fan base who wants to see attacking football, The United way what ever the hell that is.

I get your point about being the vocal point of attacks, but they got most of the ball because they have earned that trust from there team mates because of there quality. Why diminish that and takeaway their quality? Hazard has good stats because Chelsea always give him the ball. Of course they do because he's an excellent player, he's a great dribbler of course you would give him the ball alot, it almost becomes automatic to do so. If Hazard kept losing the ball every-time he got it and never scored they would stop. But Hazard earned the right due to performances to get that trust.

The Pogba part is a bit meh, he's been injured most of the season and Ole doesn't even seem to trust him in a big game playing in midfield. He has to shove him out wide.
He's also lost a step, so its made it harder for him to get past players from the flanks, which is why they've tried to employ him as a 10. His career is in trouble.
 

Gehrman

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Hmmm dribblers overrated?

Best players of modern football
not ranked in order, who were good or great dribblers

Messi
Ronaldo
Ronaldinho
R9
Rivaldo
Zidane
Kaka
Iniesta
Giggs
Bale
Di Maria
Mpabbe
Henry
Hazard
Neymar
Robben
Ribery
FIgo
M. Laudrup

Probably left out a few.
 

UncleBob

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Hmmm dribblers overrated?

Best players of modern football
not ranked in order, who were good or great dribblers

Messi
Ronaldo
Ronaldinho
R9
Rivaldo
Zidane
Kaka
Iniesta
Giggs
Bale
Di Maria
Mpabbe
Henry
Hazard
Neymar

Robben
Ribery
FIgo
M. Laudrup

Probably left out a few.
:lol:
 

MattofManchester

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He was absolutely brilliant at Chelsea, but I wouldn't say top 3 in the last 15 years in the PL. Personally. For me, Ronaldo, Rooney, Bale, Aguero and David Silva all rank above him.

However, he wasn't always the most super-focused guy, was he? As good as he was, there were a few periods where he did tend to go missing.
He was allowed that leeway at Chelsea, because of what he brought more often than not.

I was one of those, though, who was pretty sure the Madrid transfer would fail for him.

Perhaps injuries did play their part, but I never saw him being a success.
Playing for Manchester United or Real Madrid, the pressure is huge. You are under constant scrutiny and the higher your fee, the greater the criticism. Especially, amongst Madrid fans and media.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but at Chelsea, while being the main man, I don't think the pressure was ever as great as what he'd have to face at Madrid.
Injuries didn't help, but I never saw that move being a success.
 

NasirTimothy

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This is the list you posted and I am sure it's almost 70% from mediocre teams. Of course, you have players like Isco and Draxler whose dribbling skills earned them a permanent bench at Madrid/PSG

There is no point debating with someone who has no idea what they are talking about. I’ll stop here, I think
 

Maluco

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Or maybe Ronaldo and Messi just aren't injury prone?
Possibly, but we have all seen the quotes and the pre-season photos. Sometimes the correct answers are the most obvious ones. The top professionals tend to get the most out of their careers.
 

RooneyLegend

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Possibly, but we have all seen the quotes and the pre-season photos. Sometimes the correct answers are the most obvious ones. The top professionals tend to get the most out of their careers.
How do you explain renowned top professionals in any sport being injury prone?
 

Infordin

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Best players of modern football
not ranked in order, who were good or great dribblers

Messi
Ronaldo
Ronaldinho
R9
Rivaldo
Zidane
Kaka
Iniesta
Giggs
Bale
Di Maria
Mpabbe
Henry
Hazard
Neymar
Robben
Ribery
FIgo
M. Laudrup

Probably left out a few.
Mbappe is far too high. He should be at the bottom of this list.
 
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Does anyone else find it funny that Hazard joined Chelsea immediately after they won the Champions League, stayed there most of his career while Chelsea have largely been meh in the CL and Real have been winning all the CLs, then joined Real just in time for Chelsea to knock them out in a CL semi-final?
 

Ace Krampus

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The guy was money in his day, unfortunately for him, it's not his day anymore. Can't blame him for going for the semi-retirement in Madrid. If anything I appreciate it. Always respected him as a player but now that he's helping torpedo Madrid? Well consider me a fan!
 

Eddy_JukeZ

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He was definitely amazing for Chelsea, but he never really performed for them in the champions league.
 

simonhch

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The guy was money in his day, unfortunately for him, it's not his day anymore. Can't blame him for going for the semi-retirement in Madrid. If anything I appreciate it. Always respected him as a player but now that he's helping torpedo Madrid? Well consider me a fan!
That’s the spirit!
 

Zehner

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The only players on that list who were better than Hazard at his peak were Ronaldo and Bale.
Have him over Bale any day of the weak. KDB may be up there with Hazard.
 

Dancfc

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Have him over Bale any day of the weak. KDB may be up there with Hazard.
I'll happily admit Bale is above him overall due to his CL record which admittedly is a black mark against Eden but if we're comparing just their PL records there's absolutely no way the Welshman is higher.
 
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OK_computer

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He is probably the worst transfer in Real Madrid history. Can't stand the guy.
 

Zehner

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I'll happily admit Bale is above him overall due to his CL record which admittedly is a back mark against Eden but if we're comparing just their PL records there's absolutely no way the Welshman is higher.
Not really a fan of considering trophies in individual comparisons. There are lots of players who were better despite winning less on international level than their rivals, IMO. Individually, Hazard was a force of nature and at times undefendable. Can't say the same for Bale, who was great in his own right, but at no point was really undisputed at Madrid because of his limitations.

Of course he's had more iconic moments in the CL but Hazard could've had them as well if he switched teams earlier, I'd say.
 

Bastian

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I'm not interested in him for us, but I wonder how much they'd be willing to cut their losses. Would they sell him for 30m? 20m? 5m?

:lol:
 

Eddy_JukeZ

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Not really a fan of considering trophies in individual comparisons. There are lots of players who were better despite winning less on international level than their rivals, IMO. Individually, Hazard was a force of nature and at times undefendable. Can't say the same for Bale, who was great in his own right, but at no point was really undisputed at Madrid because of his limitations.

Of course he's had more iconic moments in the CL but Hazard could've had them as well if he switched teams earlier, I'd say.
I think Bale's 2015-2016 season is better than anything Hazard's produced in a season.

As for the team argument for more iconic moments in the CL - Bale had 2 performances vs Inter(when he was at Tottenham) that eclipse anything Hazard ever did in the CL as well.
 

Eddy_JukeZ

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Not True. He actually sees himself as more of a number 10 than a winger.

Read here him talking about it in 2016 > https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/f...s-desire-play-No-10-insists-best-Chelsea.html
That's 2016.

There's a more recent article where he said he prefers playing out wide.

https://www.besoccer.com/new/chelsea-star-eden-hazard-reveals-favourite-position-382981


"That is not really playing to my qualities. I won some aerial duels against Gerard Pique, and that's not bad," he added. Hazard enjoys playing with a big 'target man' up front, someone to free up space for him to run in behind.

"But if I had to choose, I prefer to play like I did in the last 10 minutes, which was out wide," said Hazard, who will be overjoyed with the addition of Olivier Giroud to provide a back-up for Alvaro Morata. "But it's the manager who has the final word. On the wing I feel more comfortable. That's my place," he concluded.