Eden Hazard proving to be a man for all season

The intent had been laid bare in a post-training session at Bangkok's International School last July, even if Eden Hazard might not have envisaged quite how Jose Mourinho would go about progressing his development. "There is more to come from me," he had offered a week into the manager's second coming. "I want to improve, to do better, to make an even bigger impression." Seven months on and established as Chelsea's top goalscorer and leading light among title contenders, his form is more scintillating than ever. The Belgian is blossoming.

The journey to this point has not been straightforward. Mourinho had warned in pre-season that he was “not the kind of guy who makes life easy for the great players”, his intention made public to ensure his most talented players employed their qualities to hoist those of the collective, and he has been true to his word. There were times this season when Hazard would wince at the constant ear-bashing administered from the technical area during games, all bellowed reminders of defensive duties and the need to track back and support his full-back.

That same message has been drummed into him through daily training sessions. A player once prone to laughing and joking through drills was quickly made to realise a change of attitude was required if he was to thrive under the new regime.

Mourinho has acknowledged the player he had targeted for Real Madrid in 2011 and inherited at Chelsea in 2013 would initially coast through sessions, trusting in his natural ability "so not at top-concentration or looking to improve".

Such an approach was unacceptable. “But at this moment he’s completely different, always working to improve,” said the manager. He is deemed “professional” these days. The Portuguese had sought evidence of new-found maturity and the 23-year-old has responded.

The reprimand for returning late from Lille in November – he had mislaid his passport after attending his former club's victory over Monaco – which saw him dropped for the Champions League game against Schalke has been pinpointed as a turning point, though the penny had dropped before then.

There had been regular conversations, analysis and feedback sessions, constant suggestions and words of advice one on one, Mourinho added, "to show him the right way, or at least the way he has to follow".

Mid-season lull
Last year the €39 million signing started with a flurry and ended with a flourish, enduring a mid-season lull when the physical demands of the English game appeared to grind him down. The breather afforded him by the three-match ban for his altercation with a ballboy at Swansea City a year ago actually proved beneficial.

This year has been about steady improvement with the aim to achieve a higher level of consistency throughout each individual contest, ensuring he is as much a threat in the opening exchanges against organised and fresh opponents as he is capable of running riot against tired opponents who may be chasing a game late-on. Three goals in five games, and mesmeric displays such as that at Sunderland in December, have illuminated Chelsea's recent campaign. Only Wayne Rooney (19) can claim more Premier League assists than Hazard's 16 since the latter's arrival in English football.

The raw statistics demonstrate improvement: he already has as many league goals this season, nine, as he managed in his first campaign with shot accuracy (from 60 per cent to 67 per cent) and chance-conversion rate (21 per cent to 33 per cent) raised. There is greater involvement, with more successful dribbles (54 per cent) and an impressive number of key passes for a player who has been granted more licence to cut inside from the flank or even revel as a number 10 – which might reflect the drop in the number of crosses – under this regime, with his credentials preferred to those of Juan Mata.

His contributions make real and prolonged impact these days, his threat omnipresent rather than flaring then fizzling out. “There are times when I disappear out of the match, so I’m hoping to improve my work rate and get more consistency,” he acknowledged last month. “There will be matches when I don’t do so well, and matches when I am exceptional.”

When Chelsea labour, and they have threatened to stall at times, he invariably supplies that dash of brilliance to make the difference.

If the attacking data marks out a more imposing second season then the defensive numbers actually suggest plateau, though witnessing his displays first-hand provides evidence of a willingness to track back and support either Branislav Ivanovic, Cesar Azpilicueta or Ashley Cole at his back. As Mata experienced early on, Mourinho was never likely to accept anything else. The player comprehends better which areas in which he is expected to provide cover, and where the onus is upon him to close opponents down.

Freedom
Nemanja Matic's arrival from Benfica may actually liberate Hazard from some of those defensive duties, offering him more freedom to concentrate on picking apart opponents, but the sense of responsibility will never recede.

It is in the development of key players where Chelsea’s evolution can be properly measured. The line-up employed by Mourinho over recent weeks has hardly varied from that selected by Rafael Benitez towards the end of last season. Indeed, nine of the 11 who featured in last Saturday’s win at Hull, had started the key 2-2 draw with Tottenham under the interim manager on May 8th. David Luiz began both fixtures in central midfield, with only Ivanovic and Mata absent at the KC Stadium from the team who collided with Spurs.

Yet, if the team seems familiar, the Belgian is a changed man even from the player who finished last term with that eye-catching burst of form – before his hamstring twanged. Perhaps Mata, in the manager’s eyes, does not have the same stamina, stocky strength or speed across the turf.

Maybe, as a World Cup, European Championship and Champions League winner, the older man cannot be moulded in the same way. In contrast, Hazard seems as integral to Chelsea now as he once did to Lille. Standards must continue to improve, a title pursuit sharpening his focus, but his trajectory reflects that of this team. There is plenty more to come.
Guardian Service