Eden Hazard

This guy has Taarabt's flair but plays on a way higher level:


Taarabt has the best nutmeg ever though:

footyfan said:

And if you're such a fan of the eye test, please take a look at these videos and tell me with a straight face that Hazard is by far better at dribbling than Neymar and even superior last season to Messi. They are all made by the same video-maker and he is a fan of all 3 players and has said he has included the majority of dribbles for all 3 players.

Click to expand...

No one is saying Neymar is a poor dribbler. He's just not a close control dribbler. Almost every dribble in the video shows him finding a way to wrong foot a defender, then kicking the ball 1-2 yards in front of him. Certainly an excellent skill (when he pulls it off, though most good defenders will simply hack him down if they can't stop him legit). The video also shows exactly what he lacks compared to Messi and Hazard- it takes him awhile to figure out what to do with the ball after a successful dribble, his head is totally focused on just beating what's in front of him. Look at all the times his teammates make runs for him, but he continues to dribble rather than use the advantage he's gained. He lacks that playmaker's instinct and quick mind to use the advantage he creates.

BerkeleyBernie said:

No one is saying Neymar is a poor dribbler. He's just not a close control dribbler. Almost every dribble in the video shows him finding a way to wrong foot a defender, then kicking the ball 1-2 yards in front of him. Certainly an excellent skill (when he pulls it off, though most good defenders will simply hack him down if they can't stop him legit). The video also shows exactly what he lacks compared to Messi and Hazard- it takes him awhile to figure out what to do with the ball after a successful dribble, his head is totally focused on just beating what's in front of him. Look at all the times his teammates make runs for him, but he continues to dribble rather than use the advantage he's gained. He lacks that playmaker's instinct and quick mind to use the advantage he creates.

Click to expand...

But there are people who are saying Hazard is by far better than Neymar at dribbling, which I find absurd and ignorant. I agree that Hazard is a better dribbler (I'm a huge fan of him and you can check my activity on this thread) but Neymar is quite close to him.

james baldwin said:

I prefer to go by the eye-test and the eye test tells me that:

Hazard is the better player and by far the better dribbler. So let's agree to disagree and leave it at that.

Click to expand...

Gasgas said:

hazard is miles ahead a better dribbler than neymar

Click to expand...

Yeah, Neymar is not always a close-control dribbler, but so what? I got something completely different from the videos, something that explains why Hazard is so poor with his final product, whether it be goals or assists - his dribbling is quite often going forward and checking back, and a lot of his dribbles are occurring in harmless places. A lot of the time, he's pretty much dribbling in circles. Hazard doesn't look like he has that "playmaker's instinct" either. He's also often losing whatever advantage he is gaining.

Moving away from dribbling, I think Hazard is better in a playmaking sense in that he's good at distributing the ball to the right places and doesn't waste time. But Neymar is definitely better with the final pass because Hazard never forces things with his passes. The advantage Hazard has over Neymar in dribbling and playmaking are overshadowed by his comparatively poorer end product in terms of goals, ability to raise his game at the highest level, national team performance, movement etc. Which is why I think while Hazard and Neymar are at around the same level generally, Neymar holds the edge. And is 100% definitely better suited for Barca than Hazard.

Neymar plays for Barca style and for messi style. It isn't that he can't dribble long in that broad spaces in EPL.
I am sure Hazard in barca won't score as much as neymar. But Neymar would be definitely more sensational had he play for Chel$hi.

No comments after his amazing Community Shield display?

Galning said:

No comments after his amazing Community Shield display?

Click to expand...

He played Barca style.

Galning said:

No comments after his amazing Community Shield display?

Click to expand...

Didn't watch all of it. From what I saw, drew a lot of fouls, missed a 1v1 with the keeper. I also noticed him dropping back quite a few times into good positions at the top of the box unmarked, but Oscar (and maybe others) always idiotically choosing to heave a cross into the box instead. He certainly wasn't being used as a key playmaker, but made the best of it when he got the ball.

At one point i thought he was subbed off till they showed a close up from him.

Seriously, what has Hazard ever done to you Galning? Because you've got it in for him since this thread was created. Don't remember even one positive or neutral post about him in this thread from you. Or is it just some grudge because he proved you wrong when you underrated him when he was at Lille?

One game doesn't make or break a player, i'll withhold my snide remarks till a couple more of these Barca DNA filled displays.

Moose said:

Seriously, what has Hazard ever done to you Galning? Because you've got it in for him since this thread was created. Don't remember even one positive or neutral post about him in this thread from you. Or is it just some grudge because he proved you wrong when you underrated him when he was at Lille?

Click to expand...

Lol don't even bother.

That miss was hilarious. Hazard hasn't lighten up CL yet. Maybe this season but I doubt it. But his performance in PL was great last season.

Moose said:

Seriously, what has Hazard ever done to you Galning? Because you've got it in for him since this thread was created. Don't remember even one positive or neutral post about him in this thread from you. Or is it just some grudge because he proved you wrong when you underrated him when he was at Lille?

Click to expand...

Galning played against him once and it was not a memory that he would cherish

Yeah Eden needs to step it up more consistently in the bigger games this season. That said I think he's going to have the same problem as last season unless Oscar really steps it up. Out of our 3 attacking midfielders Hazard is the only one that really strikes fear into opposition defenders, Oscar and Willian don't really. See you have Neymar-Suarez-Messi who are all extremely dangerous, and to track all 3 is difficult, but with us you mark only Hazard out of the game and there's a good chance you stop us from attacking well. Other guys do well here and there but not consistently enough to lighten the burden on Hazard. One man can only do so much. Hazard can definitely do more, but it's a team game and he needs his teammates to step it up.

Moose said:

Seriously, what has Hazard ever done to you Galning? Because you've got it in for him since this thread was created. Don't remember even one positive or neutral post about him in this thread from you. Or is it just some grudge because he proved you wrong when you underrated him when he was at Lille?

Click to expand...

Proceed to ask him why Zlatan so often fails in the CL, seeing as Galning is obsessed with Hazards cl-performances it would be fitting