da betano casino： It’s fair to say that fans in this country probably still view Chelsea new boy Eden Hazard, as something of an unknown quantity. But judging by the way he shamelessly flirted with just about every top club in Europe over the last six months, we’re all pretty well acquainted with the Belgian’s startling self-confidence.
da bwin： So it came as no surprise to hear him announce to the world that he feels little pressure about the £32million that his new club shelled out for him. But can you really take Hazard on face value? No one expects him to come out and divulge his torment and inability to cope with such a sky-high transfer fee. But history has showed us that however much Hazard may play it down, you can never escape your price. More money brings more pressure but perhaps most prominently, it brings a sense of expectation. Hazard cannot be naïve to the path that may lie ahead.
Sunday’s Community Shield offered many their first real glimpse at Eden Hazard in action, as Chelsea succumbed 3-2 to Manchester City at Villa Park. And for the most part, it was a relatively harsh introduction to English football for the fleeting Belgian. Hazard showed glimpses of quality cutting in from the left, but a stinging low shot at Costel Pantilimon, was his only really positive contribution. This shouldn’t necessarily come as any surprise, especially given the overtly physical approach that the Chelsea backline took up with Hazard. But that’s just a taster.
To his credit, the Belgian kept coming back for more, as first Stefan Savic and then Pablo Zabaleta made a point of clattering the youngster. But this is what he must come to expect in the Premier League- he will face far, far tougher challengers in the coming months. And if he goes down as easy as he did under Yaya Toure’s challenge in the first half, the barracking he’ll receive from away support is hardly going to aid his transition to English football.
But Hazard seems calm and confident about his prospects on these shores. After all, this was a man who was happy to auction himself off to the continent’s biggest clubs in an almost ostentatious display of self-confidence. Speaking about his transfer fee, Hazard acknowledged he would play some stinkers along the way, but he told The Sun:
“My transfer fee does not put pressure on me. I am ‘Zen’ – very calm – about it.”
This statement seems to run in parallel with the public persona that Hazard seems to have created for himself, and for all intensive purposes, there’s nothing wrong with it. But even after one game, you can see the sort of pressure that Hazard is going to be coming under. In a game that was actually a pretty decent display of football, the main talking point wasn’t Torres’ well-taken goal or even Branislav Ivanovic’s hasty sending off. It was Hazard’s attempted back heel that saw him fall flat on his face.
Why does that particularly matter? Chelsea fans shouldn’t perceive it as another pelter thrown by the cynics. It’s just part and parcel of a high profile transfer.
Despite his age, Eden Hazard will not be afforded the same sort of time and patience that perhaps fellow new boy Oscar will be. Of course, both will be given the bedding in period that all foreign signings need to the Barclays Premier League. But at £32million, he is going to be expected to adapt. And it’s his own self-promotion and seemingly unwavering self-belief that have cranked the pressure up on him. Even after the Community Shield, Hazard didn’t give himself any room for manoeuvre, as he spoke of how he’s “here to play these intense games,” and how “confident,” he is of succeeding. The scrutiny isn’t going lessen if he keeps talking his chances up like that.
He needs only look at the last massive money move at Stamford Bridge if he needs any reminder of what effet a transfer fee can have. It’s impossible to say whether Fernando Torres’ fate would have been any different had he not cost £50million. But the fact is, his every move has been put under a microscope since he made the switch from Anfield and almost every column inch he’s filled, that transfer figure has featured. Eden Hazard might not be a British record transfer, but he’s arguably he most high-profile transfer of the summer.
Football is a fickle world and the turbulent press, in particularly the tabloids, will be circling Hazard like vultures, waiting for his first mistake. It’s easy to say he feels no pressure at the moment but the heat has only just begun. Every step over, every shot, every flailing of arms is going to be over-analysed in the papers over the coming season. He was always going to receive such treatment, but it’s his own demeanour that has cranked up the pressure.
Hazard has all the tools to set this league alight and at only 21, the future is his for the taking. His confidence could well be mistaken for arrogance but in some ways, it’s refreshing to see someone come into this league with the sort of air of self-satisfaction that the Belgian exudes. Although judging by Sunday’s effort, the Blues still have some work to do before they begin challenging for the sort of honours that their investment demands. Hazard accounts for a massive part of that investment. Let’s just hope his own comments haven’t set him up higher for the fall.
What do you think of Eden Hazard’s unnerving self-confidence? Necessary arrogance of setting himself up for a fall? Let me know what you think on Twitter: follow @samuel_antrobus and tell me how you see it.