Jose Mourinho has told Eden Hazard he must earn the right to play behind the striker. The Portuguese believe his last season’s star player must improve to level of Deco and Wesley Sneijder whom he describes as ‘perfect number 10’.
Eden Hazard revealed last week that he had spoken to the Chelsea manager about playing in his favoured No 10 position to help revitalise his own form and the team. And Hazard has played better since occupying the central role, which has now translated into an overall team improvement in the last two games, which Chelsea have won.
But Mourinho revealed he is yet to be convinced that the role behind the striker is Hazard’s natural position and that he suspects he will never have the impact of Sneijder and Deco in that position.
We have different concepts of No 10, me and him. For me a No 10 does a lot of things, with the ball and without the ball. So for me a No 10 is a very special player in my team. In my first period here we played without a 10, we played two No 8s. With a system of two midfield players and a 10, I demand a lot from No 10.
Every position is important but it is an important position. I like a No 10 to score goals. I like a No 10 to get in the box. I like a No 10 to score a goal like Oscar did against Maccabi. A No 10 for me is an eight-and-a-half when the team lose the ball, and the No 10 is a nine-and-a-half when the team have the ball. Wesley Sneijder and Deco were the best I had. Ozil was very good.’
Jose Mourinho, Source: Daily Mail
Asked whether Hazard could be that kind of No 10, Mourinho said: ‘I don’t think so.’
