Following his side’s 0-3 defeat to Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening, opinion over Guus Hiddink’s success since returning to the club has been divided.
The Blues currently sit tenth in the Premier League table; 44 points from 33 games, top four out of sight, and knocked out of the FA Cup and Champions League…
… clearly, abysmal for the current champions of England.
But not when you consider that, on the day of Jose Mourinho’s sacking in December 2015, the club were lurking just one point above the Premier League drop zone, with 16 points from as many games.
Guus Hiddink seemed like the obvious replacement; he knew the club well after taking interim charge following Luis Filipe Scolari’s sacking during the 2008/09 season.
And the appointment seemed to have worked. He transformed the bitter mood around the club, which was embroiled in legal proceedings with former doctor Eva Carneiro following a row with Jose Mourinho.
He also taught the fans to love the players again, most notably Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas, who were jeered by the Stamford Bridge faithful following Mourinho’s dismissal, but found their touch again under Hiddink’s management.
The club was, however, still legitimate contenders in both the FA Cup and Champions League.
This was until a fateful three days in August, which saw the Blues defeated by PSG and Everton respectively, leaving them with nothing concrete to play for for the remaining two months of the season.
Despite Hiddink remaining unbeaten in the League until April, many fans are disgruntled at the apparent lack of prioritisation of key competitions, particularly as success in the League was already beyond the club.
Performances have since suffered – Chelsea have lost consecutive games in the Premier League against Swansea and Manchester City and have shown little sign of an end-of-season revival, with Tottenham and Leicester both still to play.
Whilst Mourinho’s tenure all but ended Chelsea’s hope of any substantial success in the League, Guus Hiddink oversaw the club’s elimination from two more major competitions, leaving Chelsea with nothing to play for in March; almost unheard of in the last decade.
Stamford Bridge faithful have, clearly, been spoiled during Roman Abramovich’s time in West London, so most can perhaps live with one season which doesn’t involve a dramatic climax.
After all, as many rival fans will gleefully point out, Chelsea were obviously heading for relegation if Mourinho had remained in charge, and Hiddink’s steadying of the ship shouldn’t be underestimated.
However, perhaps the main positive about Hiddink’s time back at Stamford Bridge, particularly in more recent weeks, is his willingness to help the club build for the future.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has started three consecutive games for Chelsea, while Kenedy and Bertrand Traore have also enjoyed more minutes despite Hiddink knowing he will not be at the club come next season.
Incoming boss Antonio Conte will therefore benefit from the Dutchman’s experimentation when he concludes work with Italy at Euro 2016 and starts rebuilding a Chelsea squad in dire need of change.
It’s impossible to know where the club would be now had Mourinho been allowed to see out the season, but I personally find it hard to critisise Guus Hiddink for the work he has done in just under five months since taking over.
There were even a few two months ago pining for Guus Hiddink to be given the job on a permanent basis, but appointing a younger manager in Antonio Conte seems like the more sensible option in terms of stability.
Overall it’s been an unfamiliar and disappointing season all round which, like many other Chelsea campaigns in recent years, has been presided over by more than one boss.
Hiddink himself, who won the FA Cup during his first stint in charge, is surely upset that he couldn’t repeat such a feat but, for most, he leaves the club with his reputation among the fans very much intact.
Guus Hiddink at Chelsea – the fans’ views…
@CFCNewsApp Overall Hiddink had a positive time at Chelsea and brought us back on track even if there was still some poor performances
— Elisha Louise (@ElishaDelaney) April 16, 2016
@CFCNewsApp I’m glad mourinho went. Seemed to lift some players mentally. But hiddink hasn’t brought anything new. Poor results all round
— Amos (@tom_cfc_amos) April 16, 2016
@CFCNewsApp I’ve got total respect for Hiddink.He’s done a decent job given the attitude of most players this season.A very good manager.
— End of an era. (@nigelowen31) April 16, 2016
@CFCNewsApp hiddink like the players. Not really bothered. Just going through the motions
— Billy Hurst (@AdvlandBilly) April 16, 2016
What do you make of Hiddink’s management of the club? Let us know in the comments.
