The Hiddink Thread

[Vybz Kartel 1,613]

First game after sacking Scolari in 2009, Chelsea 3-1 Watford. Then Hiddink took over.

First game after sacking Mourinho in 2015, Chelsea 3-1 Sunderland. Then Hiddink took over.

Let's hope the end result will be the same as the first time around.

Bro I dont want to relieve that Barcelona nightmare, up to now I still havent got over Overebo and that Iniesta last minute goal. Everything else besides that kind of heart break.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,077]

First game after sacking Scolari in 2009, Chelsea 3-1 Watford. Then Hiddink took over.

First game after sacking Mourinho in 2015, Chelsea 3-1 Sunderland. Then Hiddink took over.

Let's hope the end result will be the same as the first time around.

Nope. Let's get a decent ref against Barca this time around.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,077]

Longer than the season? Will Hiddink stay on: “As long as I feel desire, passion...I must feel inside my heart that I’m passionate to work with the guys.”

So there is a chance he stays for more than until the summer. If he does good and the teams gets decent results, I can't see why we shouldn't try keeping him. He's a likeable guy and I really like his pressers.

If I am recalling it correctly he said, "and hopefully a little bit longer than that [meaning beyond the last day of the league season]". In context I think he was just saying that he hopes we do well and still have football to play, i.e. a final, once the league is over. I'm pretty confident that is what he was saying.

[Cosmin 2,484]

If I am recalling it correctly he said, "and hopefully a little bit longer than that [meaning beyond the last day of the league season]". In context I think he was just saying that he hopes we do well and still have football to play, i.e. a final, once the league is over. I'm pretty confident that is what he was saying.

Oh, I didn't watch the conference, just read the statements in the media. I still hope that maybe he'll stay for more time here

[OhForAGreavsie 6,077]

For all the hope and expectations people have towards the Academy players this answer sounds diplomatic to say the least. I wouldn't hold my breath, it clearly doesn't look like one of his priorities based on this answer, but maybe the context and the full answer are more reassuring...

I can only imagine what will happen around here if we see the same team that played Sunderland against Watford, with Iva, Fabregas, Oscar amongst the starters. Scenes.

My translation of what he said is that he's going to assess his squad, including the youngsters, and that the kids will first have to prove to him that they have the qualities before they will get any minutes. Nothing more than the blindingly obvious truth really but it was good to hear him say it all the same. He resisted the myth pushing thrust of the question which attempted to get him to offer an implied criticism of our policy towards kids.

[OhForAGreavsie 6,077]

If there is one thing the club could have done to appease me over the loss of Jose, it was the appointment of Guus. Very happy about it.

[Barbara 15,149]

See the video I posted above - that question about youth players starts from 20:48.

He said in a nice, polite and respectful way many of the things Mourinho did - which is always welcoming, tact is always nice. It's clear that everyone - including a manager who's been there for only three days - knows that the current team lacks leadership. When Mourinho said after the sacking that they players were weak mentally he was just right.

I continue not to trust those players to turn anything around. They're indeed weak mentally and it looks like many of them weren't even trying. Now they think all they need is want it, but if bad form depended only on will to change, we wouldn't see so many professional athletes in all kind of sports struggling so much to overcome slumps. Best of the luck for Guus and the players, but this team - as a group - doesn't inspire me any confidence. Mourinho's fierce leadership and their motivation from going years without winning the league made them overachieve last season. To perform and compete for titles, we showed that with this team we need a nearly perfect scenario of physical and technical form, lack of mistakes, luck, flawless positioning and solid defending - while those things can be created and replicated, some of them are not that easy to achieve and some of them such as luck and lack of mistakes are unpredictable and many times not something one can voluntarily have (even when you try hard not to make a mistake, sometimes luck gets in the way). I think we seriously need to start rethinking the group. It doesn't matter if we're doing a lot of transfers or promoting kids from the Academy (although they'll hardly be the mentality leaders we need due to little experience and even small age), but we need new Ballacks, Lampards, Drogbas. Just like Hiddink heavily implied. We have all but John Terry on that department...

As for the youngsters after seeing his whole comment, I feel even more encouraged to believe he'll play exactly the same players we've been seeing. Maybe a change or two in the lineup, but the 18 squad will be the same, I have no doubts.

Actually I believe Cesc, Oscar, Iva will all continue to be starters - maybe when Eden is ready, Oscar might be dropped in favor of Pedro, but the feeling I got is that he won't try any experiment with players from the academy now and they must prove themselves really worthy of receiving any chances in the future. Hopefully he will show to be fairer than José towards under performing and in-form players, but I don't see more than 1-2 changes - if any at all - coming in the starters and no youngster being brought in the next few weeks. If that turns out to be the truth, I'll be dying to read the comments here.

[killer1257 3,282]

My translation of what he said is that he's going to assess his squad, including the youngsters, and that the kids will first have to prove to him that they have the qualities before they will get any minutes. Nothing more than the blindingly obvious truth really but it was good to hear him say it all the same. He resisted the myth pushing thrust of the question which attempted to get him to offer an implied criticism of our policy towards kids.

At least,Hiddink did not compare our academy player with young eggs or something similar like that lol.

That would be some kind of Mourinho comparison lol

[Henrique 9,133]

Aam I really the only one here who thinks these jokes are fucking shit

Watched some of Hiddink's presser, really likeable guy.

Actually 5 other people (and counting) think the same, mate. You are not alone, don't worry.

Watched Hiddink presser as well, its nice to see likeable guy again as the manager.

[Last Sicarius 610]

After this conference i think i can start watching our conf. Guus looks so professional mrrr :3

[Styles 9,790]

Just read some comments from the interview.

Nothing silly or cringe worthy said whatsoever - just a calm, experienced professional talking sensibly. How refreshing.

[Blue Colored Sky 1,807]

Couldn't like him more after his first presser.

Back in 2009 I didn't watch such things like press conference. I didn't know how's Guus Hiddink like. So for me it is first impression and very, very good one.

Always thought that Guus is the only one that can match my warm feelings towards Chelsea manager that I used to have with Jose. So I'm extremely delighted that we have him at the helm for the whole 6 months ! How good is that ?! I'm very positive. Want to run, jump again with joy. I start to feel passion again. I'm looking forward to the next game and the next game. I missed it so much.

[the wes 7,212]

hiddink Not Rule Out January Signings

[Jase 43,479]

Guus Hiddink warns Chelsea’s under-performing players not to take it easy under his guidance

[Fulham Broadway 17,333]

PC in a nutshell:

"All the players need to look in the mirror..and...er..I shouldnt really be here"

[Adnane 1,101]

I don't wanna jinx it, but I can't stress enough how pivotal this 6 months are for this club under this kind of manager.

If he does perform as expected, we really are lucky to find the exact profile we need at the moment, important experience, tactful in his communication ( for those who want real taste of it, check how calm and composed he was after the Ovrebo nightmare, you just can't stay calm in a night like that, how he did is beyond me ), great tactical knowledge, respect from and proximity with the players.

Our club is really in a critical phase, the after Mourinho has always been tricky, whether your teams keep the best learned under one of the best managers in the history of football, enhance it and go to the next level ( Chelsea 2008, Madrid 2014 ), or they implode ( Inter 2011, Porto 2005 maybe although they lost so many players that we can't judge them on that ). Our objective is to make the BRB a BRBC, thus joining the Barcelona-Real Madrid-Bayern club, we were really that close last year, had we made a better CL campaign, we would have been in the same scale, in the last year or so, we really declined in that progression, we are behind the PSGs, Atleticos and Juves of this world, hell maybe even Manchester City and Arsenal, although we might have more talented players than some of them ( mainly Atletico and Juve for me ).

So we need this coach, and I can feel in his words that he needs us, as he said he gave up big plans to join Chelsea, his name has been well sung here in the past and he didn't have such a brilliant career just to end it in a note as low as what happened in his last 2-3 experience ( depends on where you stand in the Anzhi debate ), he doesn't have much to prove but he needs that, ending a great carrer badly is always negative for someone involved in football management for over 33 years.

Chelsea want to build a dynasty ? Recruit the players ? Build the foundations ? This man has got so much experience and knowledge in football and has been through so many changes that I can see him as one of the best candidates for that, as a coach for a couple of years and then a technical director if he wants to stay in the game, as he has always been in the top of Roman's wishlist.

We only have to wish one thing for the future of our club, that this guy does a job good enough to keep him within the club beyond the 6 months he is about to entertain.

Guus Luck ! Don't be hiddingk !

[Barbara 15,149]

PC in a nutshell:

"All the players need to look in the mirror..and...er..I shouldnt really be here"

Yep, clear as day for anyone who wants to see, don't even need to read between the lines.

On another completely unrelated note, kudos to Jason for doing something so amazing to this forum. It's a Christmas miracle all right.

[Milan 17,959]

Is it just me or is this really cool?

[KevinAshburner 1,270]

I Vote for and Nominate GUUS HIDDINK for my all time best manager for Chelsea FC and he is definitely my favourite manager ever that managed Chelsea. he is the only most likable dutch manager in football I feel interested in when he talks and speaks. He has a personality and character that Jose Mourinho or all the Other managers from 2004 -to- 2015 that managed Chelsea FC that I didn't like or wasn't interested in.

[Peace. 4,352]

Why do people have to complain again ? Yes, that is the same line-up and yes, this is frustrating to see again and again these poor players. But you have to keep in mind two things : Guus arrived here only one week ago and that is his first game ; you will have to bear those piss poor players until the end of the season, and most certainly the next season too.

As I have said, this is is first game and he is the manager for one week — what were you expecting, a revolution ? Probably half of the players are unknown to him, especially RLC and Kennedy... Of course he will select the players he knows and the players that have the better C.V. To change the line-up he will need time to get to know the players. That is even more true for the 'youngsters'. It is always complicated to play them when you get to manage the team mid-season. And to be frank, Guus inherited a team that is too much in a dire position to make some fantasy in the first months.

The first priority is to get out of the relegation battle ; the second is to secure enough points so we will not fight to not get relegated again. Once these important prorities are done, you can think to the youngsters. Though, to be honest, I am sure that 'try to get the fourth spot' will also be ahead of 'play the youngsters'.

And as some others have mentioned, we need fresh players to play against Manchester... Maybe Guus feels Zouma's speed is more needed against Manchester than Watford. And to be honest — I will create a general commotion with this —, Zouma is not necessarily that better than Cahill — if he is indeed better... They have both their qualities and flaws, but let's be real, the difference between their level is marginal.. It 'might' be concerning in regards to his status within the team in a long-term perspective, yet, in regards to 'one game', Zouma or Cahill, it is 'Tweedledum and Tweedledee'.

The bottom line is that, before getting your guns out as soon as the first game, let's see how Guus does in his first month here to draw conclusions. Also, a change in tactics does not necessarily implies a change in personal. And anyway, prepare yourselves to see the same team for a long time — we are too deep in the season and we are in a position too bad to be able to make drastic and fantasist changes.