The ManicaPost
Rio Ferdinand fears that Eden Hazard has joined Real Madrid with the club on the decline. Real were thumped 3-0 in a desperately poor showing against PSG on Wednesday night in their Champions League opener.
Zinedine Zidane’s side looked a shadow of their former selves and Hazard, who joined from Chelsea for £130million, was largely anonymous. Two goals from Angel Di Maria against his old side, followed by a late Thomas Meunier effort, consigned Real to an abject defeat.
There are serious question marks about the work ethic of the squad and their former aura is wearing thin.
In the BT Sport studio, Rio Ferdinand had his say and is fearful that Hazard’s move to the Spanish giants has been timed poorly.
He said: ‘When you go to a new club, especially the size of Real Madrid, you have to earn the right to be the man who gets all the ball.
‘He’s got to do something in the training games, in the actual games that he plays.
‘I’m fearful for him that he’s gone there at the wrong time.
‘This is a team that’s ageing, they’re not on their way up, they’ve not got much spark about them at the moment. That is going to affect him and reflect badly on him in the long term.’
And Peter Crouch agreed that Hazard himself must do more to command the ball rather than simply expect it.
‘Hazard at Chelsea was one of the top five players in the world but watching him tonight he didn’t look it. At Chelsea he was the main man and everyone was giving him the ball from everywhere. He won’t get that at Madrid until he earns it.’
Glenn Hoddle hit out at the lack of a combination between the Belgian and Gareth Bale on the other wing as Real’s attack was all too predictable.
He said: ‘I’m surprised that the rotation wasn’t there between Hazard and Bale. Real usually have a free-flowing rotation of a front three but Hazard played out on the left, Bale played out on the right.
‘They were pretty much playing in straight lines and that’s easier to defend against.’ – Daily Mail
