Tuesday 20 October 2015 13:18, UK
Is Jose Mourinho right to criticise Eden Hazard’s contribution? We examine the evidence.
On the face of it, Chelsea's win over Aston Villa was routine. But the presence of Eden Hazard among the substitutes was anything but. The man who picked up the country's player of the year award in May was dropped for the visit of Villa. It was Chelsea's first Premier League game in 18 months that he has not started and a reflection of his poor form.
Jose Mourinho could hardly have been clearer in explaining his decision. The message was for the media and the player himself. "I left out Hazard because we are conceding lots of goals," said the Chelsea manager. "We need to defend better. When you don't have the ball, quality means nothing and what means [thumps chest]... you have or you don't have.
"It was just a tactical decision, leaving super quality on the bench, but bringing tactical discipline and hoping that the team could be solid. Willian and Pedro did amazing defensive work and allowed the midfield players to be very comfortable. I continue that way, or he comes in our direction and tries to replicate the same work that Willian and Pedro did."
But is Mourinho's criticism fair? There are certainly statistics that suggest there is some truth to the claims. Hazard's activity in his team's defensive third has more than halved since 2014/15, from seven per cent to just three per cent. His numbers for possession gained, tackles and interceptions are all down on last season too.
More specifically, in regard to his work rate, the comparison with his fellow wingers does not flatter him. While Willian is averaging 65 high-intensity sprints per 90 minutes this season, with Pedro making 62 of them, Hazard is down at 56 sprints. That could be interpreted as an indication that he is not putting in the "same work" as his colleagues.
However, the Belgian could point to the fact that he has been asked to play the full game on eight occasions, which does not lend itself to playing at this level of intensity. Perhaps more significantly, there is nothing obvious in the physical data that would suggest Hazard is doing too much differently to what he did last season.
Indeed, his precise total of 56.45 sprints per 90 minutes is remarkably similar to his tally of 56.37 last season. In terms of his movement, that would indicate Hazard has not changed dramatically. What has changed are Chelsea's circumstances and with the team losing games, Mourinho is eager to revert to type and get the basics right once more.
Hazard had always been an exception. The identikit Mourinho winger is defensively-minded with a ferocious work-rate. He is able to counter-attack quickly and then get back into position once the ball is lost. Juan Mata could not do it. Mo Salah would not do it. Both men left. In contrast, Willian and Pedro are in that Mourinho mould.
Hazard isn't, but much like Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, his abilities transcend Mourinho's model. As a result, the manager constructed a system to get the best from his best player. Cesar Azpilicueta was switched to left-back and Nemanja Matic brought in to cover the space vacated by Hazard. He rewarded him with consistent brilliance.
Those moments of magic have not been so forthcoming this term. Although it has seemed that Hazard has struggled to get into games, his average number of touches of the ball has not decreased significantly. It's what he has not done with them that has been the problem. Hazard is completing only three dribbles per game rather than five. He's yet to score.
It's an alarming regression. This might have been the season in which Hazard progressed to rival the very best in the game. Indeed, Mourinho had compared him favourably with Ronaldo in the summer. But Hazard's own comments in a recent interview for a Belgian magazine cast doubt on his potential to make that step.
"I ask myself what I can do to become like Messi and Ronaldo, and score 50 or 60 goals in a season. I try but I realise that I will never be a true scorer. It is not in me. It is mainly mental. Sometimes I still think after a goal, 'that's enough'. I'm not in search of records like some other players. If I can score between 15 and 20 goals each season, I will be very happy."
Even that modest ambition looks challenging now. The first aim is to get back into the Chelsea team and with Mourinho finally having a win to build on, he has recovered a modicum of control over the situation. Willian and Pedro have re-established the template for what he expects from a wide player. And Hazard has a choice.
He has picked up the Chelsea player of the year award for each of the past two seasons. But then, so did Mata - and Mourinho soon decided that the Spaniard's qualities did not justify changing his system to accommodate him. Hazard has been given a reminder that he must either adapt his approach or reproduce last season's form if he is to regain Mourinho's trust.
