Interim manager Guus Hiddink will leave his post at Chelsea this summer but before that happens he is determined to finish his side’s Premier League campaign on a high with eight games remaining. Positioned at the 10th place on the league table currently, Hiddink has previously admitted that a top-four finish is now out of reach, now implores that his squad must finish as high up the standings as possible. As die-hard fans of the Blues’, reporting the events at Stamford Bridge as and when they occur, mean no less than rooting for anything positive that is set to happen with the club.
Having said that, we realize that since we were dumped out of the Champions League by Paris St-Germain and denied a place in the FA Cup semi-finals by a rampant Everton earlier this month, there only remains a good finish to the Premier League as a part of Hiddink’s final aims before parting ways with the club at the end of the season.
This summer, however promising it seems to be, the appointment of new manager Italian Antonio Conte along with several other player signings, contract renewals, transfer-deals and many other things breathing in the pipeline, there are still a bag of tricks up the Dutchman’s sleeves left to be spelled out in order to ensure a great climax to an already brilliant 13-match unbeaten run as a stand-in boss.
3 Things Guus Hiddink Must Work On During The International Break:
Target A Strong Finish To Chelsea’s Premier League Campaign – As sweet as possibilities of finishing ahead of maximum teams placed in the top-half of the table might seem, it is important to reiterate the fact that the Blues have lagged behind the worst in the last 20 years as the lowest Chelsea has finished is at the 6th place, thanks to a certain not-so-special-anymore Mr. Mourinho.
Whereas Hiddink has got his eyes set at a better ending, he feels and I quote ‘First of all we want to get the maximum out of the team regarding the league table, to get the best position possible’, Hiddink told chelseafc.com.
‘But also we appeal to the players to say “hey, you are a big club which has had a very difficult season and is recovering step by step”. ‘We are unbeaten in the league so far [since Hiddink took over], and when you play as a big club in a difficult situation, you must have pride as well.’ he said on probing further.
“We say to them you are champion from last year so play with your heart and play with desire, and I think against West Ham the players showed desire, especially in the second half when they regained their confidence. It is about personal pride.” – Guus Hiddink, Chelsea Interim Manager
As coach, Guus Hiddink is determined to take Chelsea to the ‘best position possible’ in his final eight games in charge as the defending Premier League champions aim to close out a forgettable season on a high note. In order to achieve that he has set goals for his players to keep them motivated for the remainder of the season by carefully summarizing what needs to be done at every end and with every squad member over the gap of the international break as things starts to heat up for this season to come to an end.
Focus On Picking The Right Starting Lineup For Each Game – An international break that couldn’t have been timed better for Hiddink and his men, the time it has given the coach to gather his troops and brief them about what needs to be achieved in the last 10 metres of the race is least bit taxing and the most thrilling part of a football season that has not been short of any twists and turns with the sacking of Mourinho, exit from the Champions League and a defeat in the FA Cup.
Guus Hiddink must realize that he needs to give these five players as many chances as he can in every game from here on in since only eight games are left for the campaign to draw to a close. At every possible opportunity, Hiddink should watch out for the following players and let them start games for Chelsea:
Alexandre Pato: With little riding on their remaining fixtures, the Brazilian could earn himself a move elsewhere or prove to Hiddink and Michael Emenalo that he would be worth signing on a permanent basis.
Kenedy: Still very raw, Kenedy can play behind the striker or as the centre-forward and he might just be about to make his name.
Bertrand Traore: Costa does not need to play and, with the EUROs looming, could do with the rest. Traore might just perform well enough to discourage any new Chelsea manager from signing another forward.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek: With Ramires’ move to China, the youngster must be given the opportunity to fill the void in the Blues’ midfield.
Baba Rahman: When Kenedy was picked ahead of Rahman at left-back, it was a real demonstration in the lack of faith that both Hiddink and Mourinho have had in the 21-year-old.
Must Maintain The Improved Atmosphere At The Club – Recently, Chelsea FC academy member Ruben Sammut has stated that there has been a palpable difference in the atmosphere at the club since Guus Hiddink replaced Jose Mourinho. The youngster said, “Since Guus Hiddink arrived, there’s been a real buzz around the place. A lot of the players felt low on confidence while Mourinho was here but it’s totally different in the camp now. Everyone is upbeat again. Training has been enjoyable again.” – Ruben Sammut
It is for a fact that we know the Dutchman replaced Jose Mourinho on an interim basis in December with Chelsea in a relegation battle and very well conquered that from within the range of dark shadows penetrating the Bridge from achieving success. He has steered the Blues away from danger but they have little to play for after crashing out the Champions League and FA Cup. Hiddink has also handed Sammut a number of chances to train with the first team and the Scotland youth international hopes to make his Chelsea debut before the end of the season.
Being a good manager, Hiddink’s treatment of youth as a particular example of his uplifting approach, going on to say that youngsters are more involved in senior squad training throughout the week has surely done him a world of good in the footballing press circles. Given Chelsea’s poor record of graduating players into the first-team, this is undoubtedly a positive development for those within the academy and something that he must sustain throughout his time at Chelsea.
As the end of Guus Hiddink’s tenure draws nearer, these things ought to soar his spirits high if he objectively unlocks all the key points over the long international duty break. He has been more than a caretaker for the Blues this season.
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