Real Madrid News
Belgium manager insists Real Madrid flop Eden Hazard makes their team better
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022 (h/t MARCA), Belgium manager Roberto Martinez has once again defended his captain and Real Madrid flop Eden Hazard, stating that he makes the national team better due to his talent and experience.
The 31-year-old Hazard has struggled since making the switch to Real Madrid and has completely fallen out of favour under Carlo Ancelotti his season.
Indeed, the Belgian winger has played just over 70 minutes of football in 14 La Liga matches, indicating how badly things are going for him at the club level.
Despite his lack of minutes and struggles to make an impact, Hazard remains a permanent fixture in the Belgium national team setup and Martinez has once again insisted that the former Chelsea ace brings a lot to the table even though he might be lacking in rhythm.
“Eden’s situation has changed a lot. We do not follow Eden to see what rhythm of the game or what intensity it has. We focus on the talent he has and the experiences he accumulates with the national team,” Martinez said.
“He is the captain, he has great influence over the rest and has shown great commitment. For me, that is the most important thing. We are aware that we are a better team when Eden is in our locker room.”
These comments came after Hazard stated in Belgium’s friendly encounter against Egypt on Friday. The Real Madrid star played seventy minutes against the African nation but failed to make any sort of impact.
But Martinez insisted that the team have a specific plan to help Hazard get through the World Cup, saying:
“The rhythm of the game and the minutes that he plays with Real Madrid can change his physical level in a tournament in which there are so many games in a short space of time. We have a very individualized plan to get the most out of a player who is very important to our team.”
Further discussing Hazard’s importance to the Belgium side, Martinez cited the fact that the 31-year-old is one of very few players to have more than 100 caps for the national team.
“I know that there will always be debate and that in a national team it is seen that the players are at a good level in their clubs, but with Hazard, we no longer value this situation. He is one of eight Belgium players to have over 100 caps,” the former Everton boss said.
“His role in the national team goes far beyond what he does on a day-to-day basis. We have confidence and blind faith that his talent, experience, and attitude make us a better selection.”
Real Madrid News
Mourinho talks Carlos Espi, Diomande, Guler, Tchouameni, Atletico Madrid after Elche 2-3 Real Madrid
Real Madrid found another way to win, but Jose Mourinho was hardly celebrating the manner of it.
Carlos Espi’s injury-time strike completed a 3-2 comeback against Elche, rescuing Madrid after they had surrendered control of a game that appeared to be in their hands.
For Mourinho, the result was welcome, but the performance raised a familiar concern.
“When everything seems easy and you let things slide, it’s dangerous. Then the team reacts and wins, but it’s not pleasant.
“The other good thing is that nobody gets bored with these matches. They’re fun,” he began saying.
Mourinho knows what is going wrong
The Portuguese coach was particularly frustrated by another drop in intensity after the interval.
Real Madrid had opportunities to put the game beyond Elche before allowing their advantage to disappear. Mourinho believes that pattern is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
“It seems obvious to me. It’s easy to understand. These are games that are all but over, where we have chances to seal the deal but don’t. After failing to do so, we go from having it easy to losing control.
“If we play poorly from the first minute to the 90th, the concern is huge.
“If we have periods where we’re at our best and others where we’re not proactive, just waiting, lacking intensity… Of course it’s a concern. But we won.”
The win keeps Madrid moving, but Mourinho’s concern is less about the points than the way his team is repeatedly making matches unnecessarily complicated.
Carlos Espi again provided the decisive moment from the bench, although Mourinho knows breaking into the starting XI will be difficult with Mbappé ahead of him.
“He’s a guy who works hard and is very motivated,” Mourinho said.
He then added, “He’s up against a player who’s in a league of his own (Mbappe), and we’re well aware of that.”
Madrid derby comes at a delicate moment
Next up is Atletico Madrid, and Mourinho’s attention is already turning towards the derby.
Rather than focusing on the opposition, he remains concerned about his own side’s ability to manage matches.
“The only explanation I can find is that we can’t keep going like this. We misjudged the opportunities we had, and once they score a goal, everything changes,” explained the Real Madrid coach.
Meanwhile, there were positives to take from individual performances, as Mourinho praised Yan Diomande’s development after another energetic outing.
“He’s improving. Physically, you can tell he has more minutes under his belt. He has a great work ethic and intelligence—he’s done a great job.”
Mourinho refuses to call Guler indispensable
Arda Guler’s importance was also questioned after another fantastic performance, but Mourinho rejected the idea that any player is beyond replacement.
“No, no one is indispensable. We were losing control when I made the substitutions; Vini did a great job on defence, but he was very tired.
“And Arda, who was playing in the number 10 position, was also losing intensity.
“I brought in a fresh Jude and Brahim when we were down 0-2, but I could sense we were losing control. That’s how it goes for us. And then, we brought in the heavy artillery and turned it around.”
Mourinho was also pleased with Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde during Madrid’s strongest spells.
“When the team was playing well, he and Valverde were playing well. They broke through the pressure easily, with skill.
“But the game had two phases—or rather three: one until it was 0–2, another until it was 2–2, and another until the end. They did a good job,” he concluded.
Source: AS
