GWT: English Premier League: 10/31 - 11/2/2015

njdevsfn95

Help JJJ, Sprite.
Jul 30, 2006
31,348
55
Meanwhile Newcastle is facing two new injuries for next week: Elliott and Janmaat.

At Bournemouth isn't going to be easy and this just makes it that much tougher. A pt would be an accomplishment if Janmaat is out.
 

YNWA14

Onbreekbaar
Dec 29, 2010
34,543
2,560
If Hazard is willing to play this way and sulk because of a bit of a bad steak or because he doesn't like his manager then that's a testament his character.
 

Live in the Now

Registered User
Dec 17, 2005
53,029
7,489
LA
Assuming, but it's not a bad assumption. He doesn't even run at defenders anymore, and while Clyne is a good fullback, I don't think he's world class as would be required to stop Hazard as much as Hazard would be stopped today.

One thing not discussed much is that Chelsea is certainly headed for a 10 loss season, given that this poor run has come against many teams they should pick up three points against. It's nearly impossible to make the top four with that many losses, and of course they'll get some draws on the way to make it even more difficult. Barring a capitulation by the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham it would be nearly impossible, even though they're not that far ahead of Chelsea now. Chelsea has to get 59 points from 27 fixtures if last season's low mark of 70 points for 4th is to be reached.
 
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Peen

Rejoicing in a Benning-free world
Oct 6, 2013
29,639
24,983
I love Skrtel vs Costa battles

VxbSRrI.png


I think it's unfair to say Chelsea won't recover at any point, but it's difficult right now to think of where that spark is going to come from

(still think it could be kenedy but he's only ****ing 19 and who knows if he could handle starting)
 

Cassano

Registered User
Aug 31, 2013
25,610
3,818
GTA
are we just assuming or has Hazard actually said or done anything to indicate a fallout with Mou? other then he's not even closs to the form he had last season

I wonder if Hazard hurt his development by playing under Mourinho tactics. I would've loved to see him and Neymar swap places and see how each of them fare. It would probably be totally different.
 

Peen

Rejoicing in a Benning-free world
Oct 6, 2013
29,639
24,983
that's the part that confuses me

last season was the season where mourinho challenged hazard to play better defensively, be a team player. he came through, was the best player in the league. he still had free roam capability

this off-season, mourinho says things like he'd take him over ronaldo, he's been a fantastic player, but hazard comes back fat and is our worst player outside of ivanovic

doesn't make sense to me. i don't understand where the dispute came in from in this case. it's not as if he suddenly had a revelation that he wanted a transfer in the summer, and was declined and that's why he has been **** since day one of pre-season.

i'd understand it if he was some god for belgium during the international breaks but he wasn't. he was the exact same player.

and weirdly enough, just like matic and fabregas - fabregas had that one great game against maccabi, but was **** the next. matic had the great game against dynamo kyiv, was **** the next. i didn't watch the midweek game against stoke that we lost, but hazard was apparently really good (even though he missed his pen), but was the worst player on the field against liverpool.

i miss courtois.
 

Edo

The Mightiest Club
Jun 7, 2003
6,036
69
vancouver
wowhockey.com
that's the part that confuses me

last season was the season where mourinho challenged hazard to play better defensively, be a team player. he came through, was the best player in the league. he still had free roam capability

Hazard is a goal scorer and play maker. He should not have to worry about defending. It's even crazier when you take into account the entire Chelsea attack is basically reliant on him. So you want him to create everything, and then have to defend as well?

It's just insanity. Messi, Ronaldo, Suarez, etc, do not have to defend. Why should Hazard? I know we've talked about it before, but it's pretty simple. You can't expect him to play every three days without any real support up front and then defend.

Reminds me of my high school coach yelling at me for not running enough. Coach, I score goals. Leave me alone. I do not know how to defend. I score goals.
 

Peen

Rejoicing in a Benning-free world
Oct 6, 2013
29,639
24,983
that's the funny part though, he isn't even defending this year. he's pretty much staying up as a secondary forward. and you can tell it's against instruction because of how open that part of the pitch is when he isn't covering his spot.

hazard isn't a goal scorer, he's a creator. he's not a goal scorer of those players' magnitude ESPECIALLY lol. you can't change or force hazard to be a goal scorer. he's at his best when he's coming for the ball, and taking on players. he hasn't done that at all this season - and even when he's got it, he isn't doing anything with it. i don't know how much you can blame mourinho for that.
 

Evilo

Registered User
Mar 17, 2002
61,956
8,524
France
You can blame Hazard that's for sure. He should never play like this. Something has happenned in the lockerroom, maybe the blaming of Eva has also been a more significant incident than most thought.
In any case, we're not behind closed doors, but I believe Mourinho has lost the players. Usually, you can blame the coach and also the players when they decide to shoot themselves in the foot. But when players do that it's because they feel it's for the best fo the team if the coach is gone. Too many players (outside of Hazard) are disfuctionning for it to be just lack of form. It's beyond obvious.
 

Peen

Rejoicing in a Benning-free world
Oct 6, 2013
29,639
24,983
Eva incident is so ****ing ******** on its own though. I'm pretty sure it was just Jose voicing his frustration with a poor choice of words. But even though there was a male doctor as well, the media took it and run as if it was some sexist comment.

And again.. I do think something could have happened but I can't think of when or why. And that's the confusing part - there's absolutely nothing from the start of the season or the off-season that leads to believe anything happened. The players that are still **** right now have been **** since day one. If things fell out after the first few weeks, it wouldn't shock me. I don't blame Mourinho for what's happened with our best players at all. On the other end of the spectrum, I do blame Mourinho for his squad choices and tactics. It's right now like trying to put a square peg in a round hole because of the way players are performing.
 

njdevsfn95

Help JJJ, Sprite.
Jul 30, 2006
31,348
55
Everton let's lead slip to Sunderland in a 5min span over HT. This brings Sunderland up to 18th and ahead on GD.

Since they've given up 4, dropped back to 19, and now trail Newcastle on GD.

Damn is next weeks match at Bournemouth important, even more so if Southampton take the 3pts.
 

Cassano

Registered User
Aug 31, 2013
25,610
3,818
GTA
Hazard is a goal scorer and play maker. He should not have to worry about defending. It's even crazier when you take into account the entire Chelsea attack is basically reliant on him. So you want him to create everything, and then have to defend as well?

It's just insanity. Messi, Ronaldo, Suarez, etc, do not have to defend. Why should Hazard? I know we've talked about it before, but it's pretty simple. You can't expect him to play every three days without any real support up front and then defend.

Reminds me of my high school coach yelling at me for not running enough. Coach, I score goals. Leave me alone. I do not know how to defend. I score goals.

Completely agree, but there are star players that can do both like Sanchez. That player needs a high work rate though.
 

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