EskWeston

The problem for him is it that it may have come too late. We are comming to the end of the season where decsisions need to be made to take us into next season with the best possible squad. Do we take the chance that he may perform next season? Yes he has been good the last half a dozen games, but can that continue? The level he was playing at is just not good enough and i would have played anyone over him at that point. The management will make the descision but i think we need to be looking at someone else because Mr Malouda is too erratic for my liking.

Malouda has been a different player the last few games. And you have to credit Hiddink for that, Malouda is finally putting the effort in on the pitch and it is paying off. We still need a top class winger in the summer and either Malouda or Kalou would be at risk.

We have taken our time getting into this game. We started poorly, lacking drive to take the game to the Arse and being far too relaxed. Once again though conceeding has kicked us up the bum and driven us on and in the end we are unlucky to not be winning this game. We need to keep pressing and putting pressure on their defence where they are clearly weak.

Barca are without doubt an excellant team. But i don't think they are better than the teams we played a couple of years ago where we more than held our own and often came out on top. We are clicking in attack and we can be stronger in defence. Our key area is Midfield, Essien and Lampard are on absolute fire and they will give any team a torrid time. I am confident we can overcome Barca for sure.

Two months ago this morning, Guus Hiddink began work as our temporary first team coach. Today he finds himself preparing for two semi-finals and a last push for league honours. The Dutchman has overseen a turnaround in fortunes that many had considered beyond the Chelsea squad - written off as results dried up either side of a Christmas period that highlighted tactical inflexibility and a continued vulnerability to set pieces. Since February 16, Hiddink's Chelsea has won six from seven league games, eliminated Juventus and Liverpool from the Champions League, and progressed to the last four of the FA Cup, favourites to reach Wembley against London rivals Arsenal. The statistics point towards a period of success under the 62-year-old, but how does he analyse the first eight weeks? 'When I was asked to come over after the situation they asked me with some targets. I was told it would be to get qualification for next year's Champions League. That was the main target at that moment, in those circumstances, because there was a common attitude that we were slipping away,' he explains. 'So that was the aim to get there, we made this aim, and of course we would like to be in the first three, maybe two and in the slightest possibilities, still number one. The other things were extra. 'The extra we do now, with Juventus and Liverpool, two very good clubs, two very good teams, and we got into the semi-finals and are having the opportunity to go to the Final and in the FA Cup on Saturday.' Bettering expectations is something he has developed into a habit in recent times, whether it be taking Russia to the semi-finals of Euro 2008, South Korea to the World Cup's last four, or even PSV to within a whisker of the 2005 Champions League Final, beaten only on away goals by AC Milan. Now it is happening again at Stamford Bridge, but he is remaining level-headed as the season, and his stay at Chelsea, reaches its conclusion. 'We managed to have just one defeat at Tottenham, which is an expensive defeat because we could have had at least a point and we would be even more in the title race but that happens,' he reasons. 'The rest we won almost every game. We are keeping up with our own demands and expectations.' Asked whether his ability to step into a situation and turn things around at such short notice is innate, or something he has learned with experience, Hiddink takes a little time to contemplate. 'Of course you gather a lot of experience, but I have not changed much, not gained much of my basic attitude towards the way I like to manage a team or manage football,' is his response. 'There is no big difference but I have learned to play a certain way. 'It is not to give the players freedom. My perception of freedom is do whatever you like, but feeling comfortable in a job is better. When people come out of their comfort zone they start doing things they must not do. 'They must know exactly what to do and even better know what they must not do in our game. That's not freedom, but they must feel themselves comfortable in their position where they are playing, in a way that they don't feel wrong pressure,' he continued. 'Of course there is always pressure where we emphasise on winning, winning, winning. Not just winning but also playing in a way that is meant to be attractive and those two roads are important. Then we can be satisfied, it gives the team confidence.' Self-belief has certainly returned. It is hard to imagine a pre-Hiddink Chelsea coming from two behind to score four against Liverpool. He stresses that it is not all his own work, praising the players for their input. He explained after Tuesday's game that they needed little dressing down at half-time. How, we wonder, does the squad he has now match up with some of those he has worked with before? 'It is hard to compare. The team is the sum of all the individual players, not just one to 11 but the others as well. I worked with class football players in Holland with the national team, in the era of 1996 to 1998, a terrific team with Dennis Bergkamp etc. that was class but now is top level work. 'There was Romario, I played in the early days with George Best in our "over the hill" period. You experience big players, and if you work with the top players, they are very humble, very accessible for everyone and lovely to work with those players. The top players know from instinct and knowledge what you have to do.' When the words "top player", "humble" and "accessible" come together, the image a Chelsea fan might be provided with is of a midfielder now working in support of Hiddink. The coach agrees, and has praise for the more junior member of the coaching staff. 'Ray Wilkins is amazing quality, very good', he says. 'He was a top player, he is always accessible to the kids, everyone, not people who have big functions or high in the ladder of society, and he is having a huge contribution to the wellbeing of the team as well. 'When I arrived I didn't know Paul Clement, but he is also a good worker, very strict preparing himself very well and he is doing very well, he is a very open guy.' No doubt Clement has been taking plenty on board to take back to reserve team level, but who were Hiddink's own icons and role models when he was starting out? 'I hadn't have that many to be honest, and I am getting a little old now,' he smiles. 'In the early days as a coach and manager I respected Ernst Happel, who worked in Holland, Belgium, Spain, Germany and Austria.' A glance at Happel's CV shows spells with Feyenoord, Sevilla, Club Bruges, Standard Liege and Hamburg, as well as stints with Holland and Austria. Hiddink's own work has followed a similar pattern. 'He worked in several countries with several clubs and managed to upgrade the clubs he worked. That's what I appreciated very much,' Hiddink confirmed. Incidentally, it was the Ernst Happel Stadium, named after the Austrian after his death in 1992 that hosted John Spencer's wonder goal for us against Austria Vienna (then Austria Memphis) in 1994, as well as last summer's European Championship Final. Chairman Bruce Buck appears to have ended speculation over Hiddink's future by stating that he will be departing at the end of the campaign, regardless of how this story ends. It was only a repetition of what Hiddink had said time and again, but he does admit that when he leaves, he might just miss being a Blue. 'It's too early to say but of course I enjoyed very much the games we have played so far, we are not at the end. I enjoyed very much so far working here in Cobham with all the staff, the secretaries, the physios, the video analysts. I don't want to make any exceptions because everyone is very helpful,' he says, gesturing around the open space in his office. 'I love working in this fantastic environment. So I might miss it, of course, but that's life. We have our commitments.' And the best memories? 'Hopefully they are still to come.' Source: Chelsea FC

Same old trap we fall into with Liverpool!!! We step back and let them dictate the game. Everytime we have taken the game to them we have come out on top just like in the first leg. We need to get stuck in and make it so much more tougher for them.

Is anyone honestly suprised? We all know that Chelsea and Chelsea players never get the credit they deserve.....

He will be looked at for sure, although i think there is more loans for him yet and i agree with BlueLion that a loan to the premier league would be the most beneficial to him and to us.

We have been saying for a while that the squad needs looking at and given something of an overhaul, especially bringing in some younger talent. It would not suprise me to see us spend a fair bit in the summer. The players leaving are more than likely to be Ferreira, Miniero, Malouda - possibly Deco, Ballack and also likely one of Alex, Ivanovic and Carvalho. But there are always some suprises and the most important thing is getting the right balance in the squad.

Welcome back Mike. Good to see you back again. I'm still around, not been on much lately due to the birth of my daughter. But i will be back posting regular soon, and i look forward to discussing all things Chelsea with you again Mike......

To be honest when Drogba is on form there isn't many better. He has everything when he wants- skill, scoring ability, assisting and power!

Thought Sheva was a little hard done by really. He always worked hard and things never worked out for him on the scoring front but was it just a coincindence that when Sheva was partnering Drogba upfront Drogba had his best season ever and was banging goals in left right and centre?? I don't think there is a place for Sheva in our squad anymore but it was a real shame what happened to him.

I agree it was a good move for him. Never understood why we let him go when we had so many problems in the right back positon, always thought he was a decent player.

Its a real shame. Anelka has had an excellant season. We must get team selection right now for our remaining games. Especially the big ones.

We are lacking in pace and creativity. We are so slow with our build up we make it so easy for teams to set up and defend against us. And then we go so narrow that it is even easier. Why on earth Belletti was started i don't know, Ballack has turned into a spectator on the pitch now. And Malouda is about as worthwhile bringing on as Stephen Hawkins!!!! For the rest of the season there is only 1 line up i think we should be considering playing if we want to do anything at all: ................................Cech................................ Bosingwa......Carvalho......Terry................A.Cole ................................Mikel............................... ....................Essien............Lampard.................. Quaresma................Drogba......................Kalou Subs: Hilario, Alex, Ivanovic, Ballack, Anelka, Stoch, Di Santo

We need really could do with looking at re-structuring our set up. We need a set-up that is going to last us and we need to build something lasting. We could also do with looking at our youth coaching set up, i am not convinced we have the best possible coaches for our youngsters since the all the changes this season.

Not good enough at all. We are too slow and lacking in creativity. Players like Belletti and Malouda are just too 1 dimentional and very predictable. Unless we sort our squad out big time in the summer we are not going to win anything next season either. This game has summed up our season for me, lack of creativity, slow and vulnerable.

Well bugger me!!!! How typical is it for us to draw bloody Liverscum again! It isn't a CL unless we are playing Liverpool at some point. I guess a plus point is that we are at home in the second leg! Typical of Arsenal and Man you to get the easy ties!!!

Easy: Ronaldo Gerrard Carragher Fabregas Barton

Would not suprise me at all to see us draw any of the English clubs. But at this stage there are no easy games, i would prefer not to play an English club because it never feels like a CL game.

Guss is doing a top job at the moment and getting this squad working hard and getting the results. However i am convinced that Guss will NOT be here in the summer no matter what, i think he may come back at some point as director of football, which has been mentioned before, but i can't see him staying on next season.

Mancienne is one player we will most certainly want to keep hold of. Especially because of the UEFA quota's. But also because he is a talent and gorwing into a top player.

I would bite their hand off for £11m. Hell, i would be happy enough to give him away for free.

It looks pretty likely that either Alex or Ivanovic will leave in the summer. Both are strong and good players but i am sure they are not happy with the lack of playing time. We could then allow Mancienne to take the 4th spot.

Well i guess the idea is to have Bosingwa and Alves, which would be nice. Ferreira and Belletti will more than likely leave in the summer, and it isn't ideal ot use Ivanovic or Mancienne as cover because they are natural centre backs.