Can Hazard Kick On?  (Sky Sports)

Eden Hazard has the potential for greatness but what will that look like under Jose Mourinho? Adam Bate previews another big season for the Premier League player of the year...

“There are no two words in the English language more harmful than ‘good job’. I was there to push people beyond what's expected of them. I believe that is an absolute necessity.” - Terence Fletcher, Whiplash (2014)

It’s not just Hollywood cinema that produces characters willing to drive talented youngsters on towards greatness. It’s been fascinating to follow Jose Mourinho’s attempts to coax the very best from Eden Hazard in their two seasons together at Stamford Bridge.

There were challenging moments in that first year. When Hazard lost his passport on an unauthorised overseas trip, Mourinho let it be known that “the apology was not accepted” and stressed that “the group is always more important than any player” at his Chelsea.

Champions League elimination later tested the relationship further with Hazard claiming Chelsea were “not set up to play football” before Mourinho responded that the player was “not ready to sacrifice himself 100 per cent for the team” after failing in his defensive duty.

Second time around, things went more smoothly en route to the Premier League title. And like the family member fond of criticising his relatives only to become fiercely protective when others join in, Mourinho has taken on the role of Hazard’s arch-protector.

“In the Premier League last season Eden was very lucky not to break a leg,” said Mourinho on the eve of the new season. “I would like more protection for him.” His concerns were not without substance. Hazard was the most fouled player in the Premier League in 2014/15.

But Hazard’s indefatigability was also encouraging. While it was John Terry who emulated Gary Pallister in playing every minute of a title-winning campaign, the Belgian also appeared in all 38 of Chelsea’s Premier League matches. It’s a significant achievement.

Analysts are fond of their ‘per 90 minutes’ statistics but staying fit is a big part of the battle for the very best. That’s helped Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo break records. The two men have played every game of a league season once each. This was already the third time that Hazard has achieved the feat.

He has the fitness levels. He now has the attitude. And the talent could never be questioned. For all the qualities that Sergio Aguero and Alexis Sanchez possess, only Hazard has the close control, speed and - at 24 - time still on his side that could allow him to take the next step.

Perhaps the biggest uncertainty is the identity of Hazard’s manager and his plans for the player’s future development. Mourinho has spoken of the importance of bringing through young English talent at Chelsea but it’s surely Hazard’s progress that will be most revealing.

Could his wings be clipped or is Hazard being prepared to soar? He is already the Premier League’s best player so it’s not a case of him being stifled. But measuring his improvement could be tricky given Mourinho’s emphasis on the team over the individual.

For example, in five seasons as Chelsea manager over two spells in charge, no player has scored more than 20 Premier League goals in a single season under Mourinho. That barrier was never broken during his time in Portugal either.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic did hit 25 during Mourinho’s first year at Inter before being sold, but only one man broke the mould in emphatic fashion. Ronaldo averaged 40 La Liga goals per season during his countryman’s three years at Real Madrid. His tally of 48 last term under Carlo Ancelotti was his best yet.

So when Mourinho pointedly claims Hazard was better than Ronaldo in 2014/15 because the Real forward endured a trophyless campaign, it’s fair to assume a message is being sent. The Chelsea manager is setting the definition for success.

The precise manifestation of Hazard’s potential is at a crossroads. When Ronaldo was 24, he was not yet the goalscoring phenom that has since emerged in Madrid. In fact, his total of 123 goals up to that point in his career was not so wildly different to Hazard’s tally of 99 thus far.

Indeed, in the year Ronaldo turned 24 – his final one at Manchester United – he scored 18 goals. Hazard netted 14 last term and provided more assists. Though not a striker, he surely has the talent to deliver goals in abundance, if a team was constructed with this objective.

Except it isn’t going to happen. Mourinho is eyeing a different form of greatness. “We are not the kind of group that is looking for somebody to be special,” he said this summer. “For somebody to be more than the others. This is not our culture.”

He added: “In my career I lost matches because of my best players. You must work them in a way where they don't lose matches for the team.” In short, all the indications are that Mourinho intends to cultivate Hazard’s talent rather than merely unleash it.

He will continue to push the player. It just might not be in the direction of maximum individual glory and Ronaldo-like numbers. Instead, it could well be a journey along a path that will bring more trophies for both team and player. Only then will Eden Hazard have done a ‘good job’.