Has Hazard peaked?

From winning the POTY last season to his performances this season, I don't remember seeing a sharper season-to-season decline ever.

What's the problem? You can't put it all down to the whole team performing worse. Lack of motivation? What does it take for Hazard to reach his last season's form? Just a manager who can motivate him better than Mourinho or a change of scenery? Or could he actually be permanently past his peak only at 25?

Art Morte wrote:What's the problem? You can't put it all down to the whole team performing worse.

Of course you can. When team has so deep problems, it will affect individual performance also, not only performances derived from team performances.

Hazard is top 3rd dribbler in Premier League 15-16, 9 behind Mahrez. It's the only statistic that doesn't depend on team mates or team performance that much.

He's not that good?

Name a standout performance against a relevant team in his life time.

Clue: It doesn't exist.

BTW his POTY is meaningless, Scotty Parker won it and his team got relegated and Ryan Giggs won it while playing like 10 games at the age of 38

Not to mention the league was already won when he started to perform like the best player lol, first half of the year it was Fabregas and Costa who did the leg work when it actually mattered. By January when Hazard stepped up for the most part the league was already won due to City and Arsenal being scrubs.

Never seen such a overhyped player in my life, he's supremely talented but so have many players been before him until he actually shows it when it actually matters on a regular basis it means *bleep* all to me.

I know it's human nature to fall into the trap of thinking of what a player could become rather than what he actually is but you have draw the line somewhere.

Harmonica wrote:

Art Morte wrote:What's the problem? You can't put it all down to the whole team performing worse.

Of course you can. When team has so deep problems, it will affect individual performance also, not only performances derived from team performances.

Hazard is top 3rd dribbler in Premier League 15-16, 9 behind Mahrez. It's the only statistic that doesn't depend on team mates or team performance that much.

So when Ben Arfa was averaging the most completed dribbles and percentage in Europe for us he was one of the best players in the league?

*bleep* outta here with that bullshit.

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:He's not that good?

Name a standout performance against a relevant team in his life time.

Clue: It doesn't exist.

His man of the match performance against City in 2014 .

Against the midfield enforcer of Demichelis.

Dat resume.

Also nothing was won when Hazard starting performing for Chelsea last year .
Chelsea and City were tied ( 39 points ) in January .

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:Against the midfield enforcer of Demichelis.

Dat resume.

Against the eventual champions, ie a relevant team .

farfan wrote:Also nothing was won when Hazard starting performing for Chelsea last year .
Chelsea and City were tied ( 39 points  )  in January .

But somehow Hazard dragging the team on his back in second ( most crucial ) half of the season is irrelevant

There is biased comments and there is illogical biased comments.

Because they *bleep* up and allowed City back into it.

City then lost like 3 in a row, which has nothing to do with any Chelsea player and then it was over.

Costa and Fabregas form from August to December is what won them that title, only a fool would deny it as it allowed them to limp for the last 6 months.

farfan wrote:

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:Against the midfield enforcer of Demichelis.

Dat resume.

Against  the eventual champions, ie a relevant team .

So that's all you have? one game in his whole career against a team with a center back playing in midfield ( an immobile one at that) which Hazard constantly exploited to the point he never has even in small games.

Dunno why you are all so defensive about it tbh, it's pretty much factual that his performances for club and country don't match his talent or his standing among fans.

Name any other top 20 player you want, but if they had the big game resume he has we would never hear the end of it.

For some reason though, nobody even wants to talk about it and deflect attention away from it at all costs.

Higuain has a better " when it counts" resume than this guy does and he's a laughing stock on this forum.

I'm actually fairly critical of Hazard myself .
Already said he often went into ghost mode in LOL 1 , didn't deserve POTY in 2011-2012 , is an NT flop , was fairly inconsistent for Chelsea .
But your criticism goes beyond objective criticism . you're basically dismissing everything the guy ever did including his ridiculous 9 MOTM in some 14 games run and the decisive goals/assists he provided to secure the title for his team .

City dropped some points in the second half of the season , but if Chelsea didn't have someone like Hazard to capitalize on it and win points they would've suffered the same fate .

Hazard made a huge mistake signing a new contract at Chelsea.
Believed his own hype and the hot air blown up his arse by the English press.
He should have let his contract run out to join Bayern on a free or for cheap.

Now he has a problem - his fee and wages are not worth it, in relation to his quality.
Also he's reached the age where the 'potential' argument is wearing off even for those people who like to propagate it.

Hapless_Hans wrote:
He should have let his contract run out to join Barcelona on a free or for cheap.

He would never get in ahead of Neymar, and Neymar's younger than him. Would make little sense.

I think he is a great player, but it comes down to intelligence as well. I see him do things he shouldnt be doing. He needs to be smarter, make the right decision, take people on whenever he actually can. Saw him live in belgium vs italy last time and he was great to watch, such elegance and control, but he needs to pick his moments better.

Dont need him at Barcelona either, doesnt defend enough and we have enough in the front. He is no solid midfielder.

Hapless_Hans wrote:He would never get in ahead of Neymar, and Neymar's younger than him. Would make little sense.

That's all well because he would get in behind him. Perfect replacement for Iniesta.

Harmonica wrote:

Hapless_Hans wrote:He would never get in ahead of Neymar, and Neymar's younger than him. Would make little sense.

That's all well because he would get in behind him.

Where exactly 'behind' Neymar? Hazard isn't a good enough playmaker or passer IMO to replace Iniesta. He should concentrate on being a dribbling winger.
Every player and his dog claims their favourite position is a 10 or AM, and not on the wing, doesn't mean they're actually good at it.

Hapless_Hans wrote:

Harmonica wrote:

Hapless_Hans wrote:He would never get in ahead of Neymar, and Neymar's younger than him. Would make little sense.

That's all well because he would get in behind him.

Where exactly 'behind' Neymar? Hazard isn't a good enough playmaker or passer IMO to replace Iniesta. He should concentrate on being a dribbling winger.
Every player and his dog claims their favourite position is a 10 or AM, and not on the wing, doesn't mean they're actually good at it.

Come again? Hazard has second most key passes after Özil in the past 7 seasons, and second most dribbles after Messi.

A Busquets-Rakitic-Hazard midfield you say?

Well yes.

Hazard/Iniesta/Rafinha - Busquets/Mascherano - Rakitic/Roberto

Harmonica wrote:Well yes.

Hazard/Iniesta/Rafinha - Busquets/Mascherano - Rakitic/Roberto

who will defend?

Hapless_Hans wrote:

Harmonica wrote:

Hapless_Hans wrote:He would never get in ahead of Neymar, and Neymar's younger than him. Would make little sense.

That's all well because he would get in behind him.

Where exactly 'behind' Neymar? Hazard isn't a good enough playmaker or passer IMO to replace Iniesta. He should concentrate on being a dribbling winger.
Every player and his dog claims their favourite position is a 10 or AM, and not on the wing, doesn't mean they're actually good at it.

I think Hazard would be at his best playing behind the striker + 2 fast wingers. he's kinda limited on the left, especially when he has to act as a second LB

Collblanc wrote:

Harmonica wrote:Well yes.

Hazard/Iniesta/Rafinha - Busquets/Mascherano - Rakitic/Roberto

who will defend?

What's that?

Great Leader Sprucenuce wrote:He's not that good?

Name a standout performance against a relevant team in his life time.

Clue: It doesn't exist.

BTW his POTY is meaningless, Scotty Parker won it and his team got relegated and Ryan Giggs won it while playing like 10 games at the age of 38

Not to mention the league was already won when he started to perform like the best player lol, first half of the year it was Fabregas and Costa who did the leg work when it actually mattered. By January when Hazard stepped up for the most part the league was already won due to City and Arsenal being scrubs.

Never seen such a overhyped player in my life, he's supremely talented but so have many players been before him until he actually shows it when it actually matters on a regular basis it means *bleep* all to me.

I know it's human nature to fall into the trap of thinking of what a player could become rather than what he actually is but you have draw the line somewhere.

He's been one of the best players in the Premier League for three seasons before slumping this season. 9 goals + 16 assists in his first season, then two seasons with 14 goals and 10 assists. That is very good and that is doing it regularly. There hasn't been a better winger in the league in that time.

Harmonica wrote:

Art Morte wrote:What's the problem? You can't put it all down to the whole team performing worse.

Of course you can. When team has so deep problems, it will affect individual performance also, not only performances derived from team performances.

Hazard is top 3rd dribbler in Premier League 15-16, 9 behind Mahrez. It's the only statistic that doesn't depend on team mates or team performance that much.

Dribbling is only a meaningful statistic if you can use it (dribbling) to score goals and create chances. Hazard has one goal and three assists this season, so obviously his dribbling has gone to waste most of the time and isn't a direct indication of how good he's been.