Eden Hazard is currently disrespecting his role in Chelsea’s starting XI, according to Tony Cascarino.
The Belgian has been playing as a false No.9 for Chelsea in recent weeks, with Maurizio Sarri unhappy with the output of both Olivier Giroud and Alvaro Morata in his system.
Can Eden Hazard be Chelsea’s saviour? Five key things to know…
- Chelsea currently have two recognised strikers registered in their first-team squad: Giroud and Morata.
- Neither forward has impressed Sarri since the Italian’s arrival, with Morata tipped for a loan move away this month.
- Hazard has been playing furthest forward for Chelsea in recent weeks but has found himself isolated in some games.
- And Cascarino believes Chelsea need to sign a central striker in January.
- Hazard has been directly involved in 20 of Chelsea’s 40 goals in the Premier League this season.
Hazard has seen his goal involvement improve slightly in that time, scoring three goals and recording three assists in five games after failing to net in his past six in the Premier League.
But Cascarino believes Hazard is too focused on trickery, rather than the good of the team, to be playing in a central attacking role.
Writing in his column for the Times, the former Blues star said: “I went to Chelsea on Saturday and Eden Hazard disrespected the false No.9 role. He was flicking everything that came his way with no regard for team play.
“He’s normally the one running on to the flicks but when you are asked to do a job for the team, do it properly.”
Cascarino went on to compare Hazard to the famed exhibition basketball team, the Harlem Globetrotters, while adding that Chelsea should make a new striker their priority in the January window.
He continued: “He’s a wonderful player but I wasn’t impressed, it was like a Harlem Globetrotters approach.
“There’s no way it’s a long-term solution for Maurizio Sarri. They need to get a central striker in quickly.”
Hazard is Chelsea’s top scorer in the Premier League this season with 10 goals and is also one of just two players in Europe’s top five leagues to have scored 10+ goals and recorded 10+ assists, alongside Lionel Messi.
Eden Hazard on his false nine role
Sarri is not the first manager to test Hazard as a false No.9 during the Belgian’s time at Chelsea.
Last season, for similar reasons to Sarri, Antonio Conte favoured Hazard over Morata and Giroud to lead the line for the Blues.
Then, Hazard spoke of his dislike in playing as a false No.9, preferring to stay in his more natural wide position.
Speaking after a 1-1 draw with Barcelona in the Champions League, Hazard said: “I might have touched 25 balls that night and 15 of them were flying toward my head.
“That is not really playing to my qualities. I won some aerial duels against Gerard Pique, and that’s not bad.
“But if I had to choose, I prefer to play like I did in the last 10 minutes, which was out wide. But it’s the manager who has the final word.
“On the wing, I feel more comfortable. That’s my place.”
However, Sarri dismissed talk of this before Christmas, claiming Hazard told him he was happy to play in that role if required.
“[Hazard] told me that he likes very much to play there. So I don’t know [about signing a new striker],” he told reporters.
“I wasn’t here last season, so I don’t know why Eden told people [he wants to be a winger]. But, at the moment, he likes very much to play there.
“There isn’t a ‘best’ position for Hazard. Hazard is a wonderful player with a very high level of imagination and I think he needs to be let free on the pitch.
“So I think there isn’t a ‘right’ position for him. But we need to have a very high level of organisation in ways to his movements.”
The post Eden Hazard disrespected his role in Chelsea’s XI – Tony Cascarino appeared first on Squawka News.
From Squawka NewsSquawka News http://bit.ly/2TPTNH4
No comments:
Post a Comment