Maurizio Sarri has tipped an already superb Eden Hazard to become even better for Chelsea, claiming the Belgian ace needs to realise the importance of moving from fun to reaping the rewards of tremendous performances this season.
Hazard has been consistently the best performer for the Blues in recent seasons yet the arrival of Maurizio Sarri and his free-flowing football at Stamford Bridge last summer further elevated the 27-year-old’s performances to new heights.
The Chelsea forward is without doubt the Premier League’s outstanding player of the season so far, with his seven league strikes topping the goalscoring charts. Hazard has been central to Chelsea’s unbeaten streak in the league leading to being named the Premier League player of the month for September.
Yet while Sarri has been pleased with Hazard’s displays, he believes the Blues talisman can still reach another level. The former Napoli schemer insists that Hazard’s carefree attitude towards playing is a two-edged sword, claiming this really-couldn’t-be-bothered approach can serve both as a boon and bane in his bid to be considered on a different plane with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
“Hazard is immense and I don’t think even he knows how much he can still improve. I said he could end up in the tight circle of the best three or four players in the world,” said the ex-Napoli boss.
“The problem is he plays to enjoy himself and at times doesn’t realise the importance of moving from fun to reaping the rewards. At the end of the day, you’ve got to get the fruits of your labour.
“Hazard’s approach is a positive, but it can become a potential limitation too. He needs to lift his head up, look around and realise there’s a whole world in front of him that he can dictate with his feet for the good of the collective and not just the individual.”
