Hazard finds joy in functional Chelsea

Eden Hazard has enjoyed tons of tributes from some of the biggest names in football in the last couple of weeks, including his manager, Jose Mourinho.

Mourinho made an incredible claim that Hazard is currently one of the three best players in the world, with Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo expectedly ahead of him.

Legends like Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry and even the great Pele has been credited with enviable quotes on the Chelsea playmaker while Frank Ribery is dreaming about the potential of playing with the Belgian at Bayern Munich.

Interestingly the encomiums couldn’t have arrived at a better time, with the English Premier League Player of the Year winner set to be announced on April 26. Chelsea are in the best position to land their first title in five years  and those tributes will swing some votes in Hazard’s favour for the individual award too, being one of the nominees.

On Sunday, at the Emirates, Hazard will have another opportunity to show the world why he deserves the award, as he faces Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez, who is also in the running for the POTY gong.

Eden’s Evolution

It looks a majority claim that Hazard is enjoying his best season ever and lots of arguments have been put forward as the reason for his development. Yet you still have to accommodate the now-popular meltdown from fans of rival clubs, who form the dissenter group of ‘Hazard is overrated’.

Ask Chelsea fans, lots of them (dare I say most) will unequivocally claim it was all down to Mourinho, and that he has moulded him into a great player-sorry you can’t change them. Yet some observers and football purists still believe the former Lille star’s progression is being stifled by the Portuguese tactician.

Both arguments are valid. More than that, it’s important to look specifically at some of these factors responsible for the player’s progress this season.

Natural progression. One undoubted gift you can’t teach Hazard is his talent, and blessed players are bound to improve year after year in so far they have the right motivation and environment to do so. The Blues star had already emerged as a special player before arriving at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2012 and immediately became a key man in Roberto Di Matteo side. So he is rare talent who is expected to get better having not reached his peak, and will still do more for years to come. He is only 24, and will grow with experience.

The Matic-Fabregas factor. Juan Mata formed the best partnership with Hazard before the little Spaniard left Chelsea for Manchester United in January last year. Mata was the ‘baller’ in the team beside the Belgian; hence it was easy to find chemistry between them.

The signing of Matic helped Chelsea to express themselves a little more from midfield, which naturally supports Hazard’s creative talent , while Cesc  Fabregas arrival has even added to the aesthetic value of the team, and that of the Belgian international.

It is no surprise that Fabregas is the top passer to Hazard, while Matic is second in that regard. Creative footballers’ exceptional talents often manifest most when their teams dominate with the ball, and Fabregas’s footballing abilities have aided  Hazard, and Chelsea have improved a lot from that too.

Mourinho changed, so Hazard gained. The Chelsea manager publicly blamed Hazard for ‘not ready to sacrifice himself for the team’ after Atletico Madrid eliminated  Chelsea in the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League, but even the coach himself has adapted his pattern to suit his star man’s strength.

Hazard was largely playing on the wings, covering for Ashley Cole, and later, Cesar Azpilicueta last season. But the Belgian has been afforded more chances to roam infield and across the final third, channelling his skills to use as the focal point of attack. It is a role he has played brilliantly in a largely tactical side. Because of his freedom to rove, the Blues midfielder can now devastatingly navigate the shackles of three blocks: the full back and his wing support, as well as the defensive midfield shield.

Harry Redknapp once admitted that Rafa Van Der Vaart was never contented playing on the wings and chasing full-backs, and the Dutchman played his best for coach at Tottenham in a central attacking midfield position. In the same way, no one will get the best out of Hazard by pegging him on the wings. 

Current Status

I think Mourinho’s claim about Hazard being one of the three best players in the world is ambitious, and the manager knows it too. It is just how he motivates his players, and Frank Lampard is one of beneficiaries of this method.

Ronaldo and Messi are on a different planet yet it won’t be far-fetched to see the current Hazard as the next top player if he was playing in more expansive sides like Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich. Debates about ratings are subjective, and football perspectives are not restricted to rampant goals statistics.

But Chelsea and Mourinho are not particularly bothered by the ranking, they are just happy to have one of the best talents in the world in blue colours, and winning with him.