Sarri could succeed with Hazard where Conte and Mourinho failed, says Garth Crooks

Garth Crooks believes Eden Hazard has the freedom to play under Maurizio Sarri – something former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho never afforded him.

The 27-year-old Belgian forward, who was a star in his country’s third-place finish at the World Cup this summer, started his first match of 2018/19 against Newcastle United at St James’ Park and marked the occasion with a goal.

However, it was his overall performance that caught Crooks’ eye and the footballer turned pundit, in turn, feels Hazard is being allowed to express himself like never before.

“The penalty given by referee Paul Tierney was debatable but there is nothing debatable about the man who took the spot-kick, or his performance,” he told the BBC.

“Eden Hazard strolled through this game and was head and shoulders above everybody else on the pitch.

“The Belgium international seems to have been given the freedom to do whatever he likes under Maurizio Sarri. Not so under Mourinho or Conte. Both Sarri’s predecessors had volatile temperaments and fragile relationships with Hazard.

“For all of football’s rhetoric about sports science, fitness and the tactics of the modern game, there’s one thing that will never change. Managers need to take care of their best players or their best players will eventually desert them.”

Hazard at Chelsea

(Photo credit IAN KINGTON/AFP/Getty Images)

A graduate of Lille’s academy, the La Louvière-born footballer enjoyed four seasons with the French club – lifting the Ligue 1 title in 2011 – before joining Chelsea in 2012 where he’s been a crowd favourite and one of the Blues’ most important players.

Hazard, to date, has made no fewer than 303 appearances registering 90 goals and 77 assists in the process. While representing the Stamford Bridge-based club, he has lifted two Premier League titles as well as one Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup.

The post Sarri could succeed with Hazard where Conte and Mourinho failed, says Garth Crooks appeared first on Squawka News.

From Squawka NewsSquawka News https://ift.tt/2LuJbsQ