Chelsea: Eden Hazard cites Conte’s tactical tailoring, daft takes ensue
By George Perry
No, Eden Hazard did not lambast / criticize / call out / mock or EVISCERATE Antonio Conte’s tactics or training. Contrary to the headlines, if anything Hazard gave one more example of how the Chelsea boss is Il Sarto – the tailor.
Eden Hazard sat for an interview with France Football magazine. He described the characteristics that would go into a perfect footballer, and who currently embodies each trait. Luis Suarez’s clinical finishing. Christen Eriksen’s free kicks. Christian Benteke’s heading abilities, and so on.
Amid “bursts” of laughter (their words), he said that the perfect footballer has no need to track back and defend. All that does, according to Hazard, is tire a player out by the 60th minute. Why should a perfect footballer do that, Hazard asks, when “there are people who are meant to defend?”
"You can write that. Don’t tell Conte, but you can write that it’s pointless… [I]t’s up to the manager. If that’s what he wants, you need to do it, otherwise you sit on the bench. I defend too. I don’t like it, but I have to with Antonio. – Sport Witness"
Well. Looks like Eden Hazard has a lot to learn about criticizing his boss and the nature of on-the-record interviews. Or – work with me here – he wasn’t actually doubting and hating on Antonio Conte’s methods, but was just having a laugh about part of the job.
Eden Hazard has benefitted as much as anyone from Antonio Conte’s tailored tactics, and he knows this. Conte expects Hazard to track back as necessary, but Marcos Alonso absorbs much of the defensive responsibilities on the forward end of Chelsea’s left. Hazard has much less work to do along the flanks because of his defensively-minded wing-back.
Last year’s central midfielders – N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic – further reduced the defensive burden on Chelsea’s wingers. When Hazard returns to the starting XI and sees Tiemoue Bakayoko in central midfield, and possibly Andreas Christensen or David Luiz as a true defensive central midfielder in a 3-5-2, Hazard will be even more free to roam as a second striker or true No. 10.
Must Read: Chelsea's predicted XI vs. Atletico: Eden Hazard returns, Gary Cahill remains
If Eden Hazard had a full slate of defensive responsibilities, he indeed would be too tired by the 60′ to continue his magic for the full 90. He would also be as ineffective as a defender as he would be as a fatigued forward. Hazard is not a two-way player. Hazard probably had the most defensive responsibility in the final half-season of Jose Mourinho’s tenure, which cut into Hazard’s productivity.
Antonio Conte knows that he has one of the world’s top players – a future Ballon d’Or finalist – in the Belgain. Conte has no desire to jeopardize Hazard’s creation and scoring because of an inflexible idea of what a winger should be. Marcos Alonso, the central midfielders and the 3-4-3 are all examples of that.
Next: Cesar Azpilicueta is Chelsea's man for all occasions
Eden Hazard is obviously a very smart and witty footballer. Antonio Conte expects a lot out of his players, and he trains them to the necessary level. He succeeds in winning and earning his players’ respect by not just drilling them into the ground, but by crafting the perfect system for their individual talents in a team dynamic. He is Il Sarto, and that is the message we should take away from Hazard’s sense of humour.