With the arrival of Antonio Conte, two questions come to mind, the first being which formation will our new manager would employ? And where Eden Hazard would play?
Taking a look at Conte’s previously used formations, the Italian liked to implement the 4-2-4 with Siena and Bari, he also used the 3-5-2 with Juventus, where he won three consecutive Serie A titles.
At the moment Chelsea don’t have enough central defenders to implement the 3-5-2 with Terry and Ivanovic not getting any younger and Zouma injured, defensive cover is a necessity if Conte is going to implement the 3-5-2.
Looking back at our dire 2015/16 season the midfield was an especially weak area with Fabregas looking lethargic and Matic lacking confidence, we looked very easy to penetrate.
If Hazard is going to be played then it is necessary to have cover in case the ball is lost, especially with Hazard’s tendency to not track back, a midfielder that will mop up any loose balls and prevent us from getting hit on the counter is necessary. Which gives the signing of N’Golo Kanté even more importance as he fills that role exactly picking up loose balls and covering every blade of grass with seemingly little effort.
Our squad had been set up in a 4-2-4 system for all of our pre-season friendlies so far, with a second half use of the 3-5-2 in the Real Madrid friendly. With Conte requiring the team to defend together whilst staying compact.
Our new head coach’s system requires a dynamic midfield with at least one midfielder able to perform a box to box role, with wingers that track back, supporting the team in defence, and we all know that Hazard doesn’t excel at the defensive side of the game.
This signals that Hazard might not be a fit for the winger and wing-back positions in both a 4-2-4 and a 3-5-2. Better options for these positions include Willian who managed 0.95 tackles per 90 minutes and 0.66 interceptions in the same period and Juan Cuadrado who managed 1.41 tackles won per 90 minutes and 1.20 interceptions at Juventus last season. (All statistics courtesy of Squawka).
With Hazard only winning 0.74 tackles a game and 0.49 interceptions, it seems that he would be more suited for a role behind two strikers in a 3-5-2 or paired up with another striker in a 4-2-4, taking into account the signing of Kanté, Hazard will probably have a license to roam.
As shown in the latter stages of the 2015/16 season and the second half of the Real Madrid friendly Eden Hazard can still be the difference for Chelsea and cannot afford to be dropped.
