Eden Hazard has been warned by Antonio Conte that he could find himself back as a false No 9 despite the Belgian playmaker having publicly voiced his frustrations with the role.
Hazard has filled in as a central striker in recent games against Barcelona and Manchester City, suggesting post-match at the Etihad Stadium that he could have played “for three hours” and still would not have touched the ball. Chelsea’s leading scorer had been more effective against Barça but still complained the majority of passes aimed at him had been “flying towards my head”, adding: “That’s not really playing to my qualities.”
Conte is expected to start with Olivier Giroud at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday, when he may rest one or two players before Wednesday’s return leg in the Champions League at the Camp Nou. Yet there remains the possibility Hazard will be restored to a central brief in future. “If I think it’s right for the team to play in this way [with a false No 9], I will,” Conte said. “Otherwise I can play with a striker. Olivier has specific characteristics. He’s a strong player and has lots of physicality so in some games, it’s right to start with him.
“In other games, it’s right to start with Álvaro Morata. In others, it’s right to continue with Hazard as a No 9. The tactics [at City] were the same against Barcelona and after that game, I didn’t hear anyone complaining.”
The head coach noted Hazard’s observations last weekend and, although he did not feel compelled to address those frustrations with the player at Cobham, he recalled the occasion when he had commented publicly on his manager’s approach. “I did this when I was a player once: at Juventus, with [Marcello] Lippi, we played a massive game against Parma when they were first and we were second. After the game, there was an international break and I gave an interview. The journalists asked me if I was happy. My stupid answer was: ‘We are winning but I’m not happy because I’m not enjoying the role the coach decided to give me.’
“When I came back to Turin Lippi killed me. He killed me in a bad way, in front of the players. He told me it was a lack of respect for my team-mates, first of all, and then for him, the club and the fans. After training the club fined me. And then, in the next game, I was on the bench. I’m talking about myself [not Hazard] but, up to that point in my career I was selfish. After that I started to think for the benefit of the team.”
