All sizzle, no steak.
So says Graeme Souness, having watched 45 minutes of Callum Hudson Odoi threatening, but not really delivering for Chelsea against Ajax.
The Blues started with a front three of Hudson Odoi, Tammy Abraham and Willian for their crucial group stage clash against last year’s beaten semi-finalists.
For all the attacking talent on show in this fixture and given the number of goals both sides have scored coming into the game, a goal-fest was expected. However, both teams headed down the tunnel with the half-time score disappointingly at 0-0.
And Virgin Media’s pundits Graeme Souness and Niall Quinn certainly didn’t hold back in their assessment of the Chelsea attack and in particular that man Hudson-Odoi during the half-time interval.
He missed a couple of one-on-ones, made the wrong decision on occasion and Quinn and Souness didn’t spare him.
“When I see that,” says Quinn “I just think what would Hazard have done. It’s that final ball, you know, every time he’s making the wrong choices. ”
Graeme Souness added his views on the matter saying:
“You know, you think in this position when he’s one on one, he’s gonna be skipping past them…he generally gives it away. Silly, needless!”
“His final pass has been so disappointing, I hope that’s not his game, I hope he’s more than that because when you see him on the ball, he’s silky, he’s smooth, he’s direct, gets the defenders on the backfoot, great awareness..”
Quinn continued his assessment:
“As Graeme said, he made one or two bad decisions..you have to think of Hazard in that situation to realise how far this kid has to come..It’s the flip side of playing young players, this is a big competition, big tournament.”
Souness finished by saying:
“I understand why you’re saying that but think of Mason Mount, he makes the right decisions nine times out of 10, this guy doesn’t. I know they’re in different positions but they’re both forward attacking midfielders and Mason Mount generally makes the right decision – when to pass, when to juggle, make the right pass. I think he’s (Hudson-Odoi) is not there yet.”
Chelsea kept on plugging away though, and eventually got their reward when Christian Pulisic created and Michy Batshuayi finished to seal a brilliant 1-0 win.
