Salah by a distance. Hazard might've had all the talent but I can't help feeling he could've been so much more. His last season was really good at Chelsea but he had too many seasons where he was a player of moments rather than one who was consistently the best.
Prime Hazard or Prime Salah?
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That is a fair point, but you could also argue that Hazard completely tailed off at 28 years of age, whereas Salah is still going very strong at 31.
What did he ever do in the CL?
Salah by a long way. Annoyingly.
I always remember Hazard as having a good season followed by an average one. Certainly in the last four seasons or so. For example. he was great in Chelsea's first title winning season then nowhere near as good the season after. And then same again for the next two seasons after that.
But then I look at his goals and assists, and apart from one obviously bad season they're fairly consistent so I'm questioning my own recollection here.
Salah though has been ridiculously consistent and to a really high level for several years now.
I always remember Hazard as having a good season followed by an average one. Certainly in the last four seasons or so. For example. he was great in Chelsea's first title winning season then nowhere near as good the season after. And then same again for the next two seasons after that.
But then I look at his goals and assists, and apart from one obviously bad season they're fairly consistent so I'm questioning my own recollection here.
Salah though has been ridiculously consistent and to a really high level for several years now.
I know it's an old thread but they shouldn't even be in the same conversation.
Even Hazard brother will pick Salah
I was confused, because until the last bit I was convinced you were describing Robben
It's not even close. Salah's numbers are above anything Hazard ever produced.
Who would you rather have a beer with? Exactly.
Joey Barton
Hazard for me but there’s just no way for me to justify it other than “trust me bro”.
Salah outperforms him considerably by any metric you want to use and was more consistent too.
I will say Hazard would have had the same level of success no matter his career path, in fact there is a timeline where he has even more. I think Salah going to Liverpool at the time he did and under Klopp has done wonders for his career. Now it’s all up to Salah in how he sustained it but he went from a C-tier player to a world class player in no time.
What would Hazard’s career look like with great attacking managers coaching him?
Salah outperforms him considerably by any metric you want to use and was more consistent too.
I will say Hazard would have had the same level of success no matter his career path, in fact there is a timeline where he has even more. I think Salah going to Liverpool at the time he did and under Klopp has done wonders for his career. Now it’s all up to Salah in how he sustained it but he went from a C-tier player to a world class player in no time.
What would Hazard’s career look like with great attacking managers coaching him?
Salah, Hazard was great but Salah's productivity in front of goal edges it for me.
Yes, that was my point, forgive me, I should have clarified. I was pointing out that their careers are kind of reversed. Not exactly, but you know what I mean.
I remember being so impressed with Hazard when i saw him at OT. Forget the year, but I think we won 2-1. Brilliant player. You could just see he was a step above most on the field.
It’s Salah, but Hazard was fantastic on the eye. Sadly, they don’t make them like him anymore.
Same.
Salah.
In this era of inverted wingers I don't think you could settle on a better RW than Salah.
Prime Salah over Hazard
Like Zidane or Ancelotti?
You know what I meant.
Feel like it's a different version of the Messi v Ronaldo debate. Of course Hazard's no where near Messi but he was electric with the ball at his feet and made things happen for Chelsea. Hazard with the ball from a stand-still near the halfway line can still terrify teams, Salah just doesn't have that.
Obviously given modern football tactics, it'll be Salah all day but in a different world (say Salah and Hazard in a 90s / 00s team) it'll be closer.
Obviously given modern football tactics, it'll be Salah all day but in a different world (say Salah and Hazard in a 90s / 00s team) it'll be closer.
They are different players, really depends what you prefer. We have played Liverpool multiple times where Salah hasn't done anything all game then pops up with a goal or assist out of nothing, whereas Hazard would be the type to dominate a match from start to finish while not necessarily scoring or assisting. Question for other Chelsea fans would be if you stuck Salah into Chelsea's title winning sides instead of Hazard would the end result have been the same? Factoring in team quality, style of play etc its an interesting one.
His last season under Sarri was statistically his best season but in reality his 3rd best after 14/15 Mourinho and 16/17 Conte where he carried us to the title both times. He was consistently the best player on the pitch in the vast majority of our matches which is the opposite of a moments player for me. Not having a go, its easy to fall into the trap of being swayed by what the stats tell you.
I feel like you can’t really compare them because of how they were used. Salah is basically a striker being played wide. I’d take him over Hazard, even though Hazard was better to watch at his best, Salah was a machine.
Ronaldo vs Messi was a close competition. There's no contest between Salah and Hazard. There's only one winner.
Both. Hazard on the left and Salah on the right.
Not true. He had one average/poor season when he was playing with a hip injury, that's it.
I was thinking more in the context of being (one of) the best in the league rather than at Chelsea. Maybe I partly feel that way because Hazard's best seasons didn't come in succession either.
Comparing to Salah is a very high bar though. Salah's production blows most players away, including Hazard. Salah has 19+ league goals in every campaign since joining Liverpool, and double figures in goals and assists in most of those seasons too. He's a freak.
I guess my point was there's only one winner under the prevailing tactical approach of goalscoring inside forwards. They're the primary goal threat for your team and the whole team is setup to get them to score. That only really materialized post 2010 (maybe even post 2015). Before that I think Hazard would've been more valued than Salah.
The pendulum is swinging already in favor of goal scoring #9s (Barca with Lewandowski, City with Haaland, Bayern with Kane, Pool with Nunez and us with Hojlund). Maybe in a few years the primary goal scorer for most teams will be the CF and the wide players revert to being primarily creators with scoring being a secondary responsibility. In that world, Hazard will be more highly valued again.
Hazard is one of the few players who could control a game from the flank. He dragged Chelsea to a title when they had Danny Drinkwater and Bakayoko in midfield! Great player, shame he’s a lazy fecker. 20 years ago he would have played for longer and probably won a lot more, the modern game is unforgiving for non trainers.
I'm not asking you to do it but it would be interesting to measure those stats against their overall contributions to their teams and teammates.
Something like total goals scored by team against total scored by the player/teammate and total dribbles/progressive carries, assists etc. Per 90 or something etc.
That would paint a more thorough comparison.
Salah creates a lot of chance and had ton of assists for Liverpool. At the moment he's their main creator. Even in that category he beats Hazard.
Hazard had more skills with the ball but his output falls short to the great wingers in his era and his prime was very short lived. Guy officially retired at age 32. Has been in an unofficial retirement mode for years now. Salah 31 and banging goals and assists in Premier League.
Not to mention Salah had some goals with top notch skills like the City, Tottenham or Watford goals so he's not that bad when it comes to this.
Lukaku returned to Chelsea and they regretted it, now effectively trying to get rid of him on loans every season. Not sure why he's put in the same bracket as KDB or Salah. Plus Chelsea signed Diego Costa shorty after selling Lukaku back in the first time.
Career Salah > Career Hazard without question. But Peak v Peak is a really tough one. I might have to give the peak edge to Hazard.
Don't forget Declan Rice as #6 and Jamal Musiala as #8 with KDB to form a midfield 3.
Salah and Hazard fed by KDB would've been terrifyingly good.This. If Chelsea waited a bit longer we could have seen both in the same side
Why is Hazard rated so highly by some people inspite of the fact that he was nothing but a fast dribbler, his entire career output was nothing to shout much about and neither was his longetivity
Prime rib
Hazard at his best was a brilliant footballer, he didn't score as many goals but he was more a wide playmaker than a wide striker like Salah. Chelsea entire offensive play during his time there was 'give the ball to Hazard' he will drop really deep to get on the ball, he was such a good ball carrier, up there with the very best at dribbling and playmaking. His skill set and role in the team is different to that of Salah so you can't really judge them like for like.
I think Salah still is better though, I think he reached higher heights and also is more consistent. Hazard could have been even more though, I don't think he hard the temperament for it, he seemed content with his level (which wasn't bad at all) but Salah pushes himself. Just compare their physical shape as a good example to their attitude towards the game.
I think Salah still is better though, I think he reached higher heights and also is more consistent. Hazard could have been even more though, I don't think he hard the temperament for it, he seemed content with his level (which wasn't bad at all) but Salah pushes himself. Just compare their physical shape as a good example to their attitude towards the game.