The interim Chelsea boss has seen his side go unbeaten after introducing a second defensive midfielder to his starting XI, and on Wednesday the Belgian had to make way
It is a rule of basic mathematics that five into three won’t go. It is an issue for a manager when his side’s first shot on target only arrives in the 60th minute, and even then it is tame.
The two were connected. Chelsea went to Watford with Eden Hazard situated behind Guus Hiddink in the dugout, not supporting Diego Costa in attack. They lacked inspiration or incision. They produced a stalemate that was testament to the solidity the Dutchman has implemented, but which illustrated the dilemmas he has.
Managing Chelsea brings various difficulties. If the task is often one of managing upwards, to keep Roman Abramovich happy, the Dutch diplomat has to manage downwards. He is in the position where he is bound to disappoint some of Chelsea’s most glamorous and garlanded players. His tactical tweaking has increased the number he has to upset. He took the gamble of leaving out the Footballer of the Year at Vicarage Road. Chelsea linger in limbo, knowing the 69-year-old interim will go in the summer. The more intriguing element is if Hazard will follow.
While transfer talk continues, his short-term move was from the starting XI to the bench. Because Hiddink has too many attacking midfielders and too few spots in the side to keep them all happy. He has plunged the quintet of Cesc Fabregas, Hazard, Oscar, Willian and Pedro into competition for a trio of roles in his 4-2-3-1 formation.
Hiddink has rebranded Fabregas as a No.10 and, with the Spaniard seeming a certain starter, it means one of his flair players is indirectly replaced by the resurgent John Obi Mikel. On Wednesday, that one was Hazard.
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Fielding a dual shield in front of the back four has made Chelsea harder to beat, and they are undefeated under Hiddink, but five of his seven league games have been drawn and it has come at a cost to the creators. Over the course of a campaign, four of them cannot complain if they are omitted. Only Willian has made a cast-iron case for a place. Yet recent form makes the decision harder. Fabregas excelled against Arsenal. Oscar scored a hat-trick against MK Dons. Hazard belatedly opened his account for the season on Sunday. He spent 72 minutes on the bench at Vicarage Road.
This was not Jose Mourinho veering between the carrot and the stick in his attempts to cajole his players back to form. Rather, it was simply that Hiddink could not cram everyone in, given his determination to field two defensive midfielders. Hazard was the main man who missed out. Meanwhile, the injury-hit Pedro, the World Cup and triple Champions League winner, seems at the back of the queue, a remarkable state of affairs considering what a coup it seemed when Chelsea snatched a Pep Guardiola favourite from under Manchester United’s noses in August.
Omitting Pedro almost goes unmentioned now. Opting to start without Hazard is rather more newsworthy. The Belgian’s form this season – and a tally of one goal, and a penalty against lower-league opposition at that – makes suggestions he will become Real Madrid’s next Galactico seem preposterous. It is nevertheless notable that, with his future shrouded in uncertainty, he was not crowbarred into the team.
It could appear a rash decision, though Hiddink has a history of placating players. It might be perceived as a show of strength, even if he is canny enough not to go against Abramovich’s wishes. Certainly it appeared the fairest option, if the alternative was to omit Oscar or Willian, the men of the moment and the season respectively. It will be telling if Hazard starts against United on Sunday or if his stint among the substitutes continues.
While the Belgian’s groin injury means he has only begun three of Hiddink’s eight games, this was the first time he kept a fully-fit Hazard in reserve. The Chelsea renaissance has revolved around others. Yet as they laboured against Watford, the game was crying out for the Hazard of last season. Fabregas played some defence-splitting passes, Oscar got into dangerous positions and Costa almost scored but collectively Chelsea were below par. Willian was uncharacteristically quiet until the final 20 minutes. The choice of two holding midfielders denied them added dynamism or invention.
The removal of one, Nemanja Matic, and the introduction of Hazard signified a belated commitment to attack and a late attempt to win the game. The replacement carved out a chance for Branislav Ivanovic, who was denied by Heurelho Gomes. So, too, was Hazard himself, when his touch betrayed him. At other times, he looked to be trying too hard, compensating for lost time and giving the ball away.
He is not at his silkiest. While he brought a bit of spark to a sterile affair, Hiddink’s initial choice was understandable. The real Hazard warning will come if the best player in the country last season is still not deemed one of Chelsea’s three finest attacking midfielders on a regular basis.**
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- Goal**