Chelsea chase Hiddink (merged)

[Ruh Buh Juh]

I reckon a top four finish and a good CL run would be okay for Roman as long as the developing team played attacking positive football.

That should be the maximum requirement for whoever comes in next year. None of this "you must win trophies" malarky, aim for Top 4 and focus on the CL. Anything more would be a bonus.

 

[dkw]

The rebuilding phase won't happen for the same reason it has never happened, no manager is willing to put his job on the line by bringing players through.

However, forget mid table finishes we might even get rid of a few 'fans' after or horrid second place finish.

Heres hoping.

 

[Chippy]

Its an odd thing reading through and noting the posts saying our second place might rid us of some glory hunting fans...I have had a few conversations with some mates of mine who have like me supported the team all our lives, they feel as I do that every season and every pointless sacking makes them bleed a bit less blue.

I couldn't care less where we end in the Division or how much polishing the cleaners do in the trophy room I just want to enjoy the games and have a pride in the Club and I have got less of that now than I had when we were excited about ending top six.

Football in general has become something to me akin to having a habit you want to break, you know its not right but somehow you need it, instead of it being a happy entertaining hour and a half a couple of times a week watching the players you support and the Manager in charge through thick and thin no matter how sh*t you know some of them are it has turned into Skys own over pundited, over analysed costly and biased soap opera and been taken over by Businessmen and Muppets who want to sit down and quietly watch without emotion while calling for the head of anyone not performing the way they think they should.

Circumstances don't matter...excuses are ignored and Managers/players are sent packing a lot of which get slaughtered as soon as they are with another Club.

I sort of mixed up my feelings of dissapointment in the top brass and dissapointment in fellow fans but I really am becoming more and more disalusioned with the game every year.

 

[Bobbywoodhogan]

I'd love Hiddink back but I have the feeling if he does come back he won't want to be manager.

 

[evissy]

Its an odd thing reading through and noting the posts saying our second place might rid us of some glory hunting fans...I have had a few conversations with some mates of mine who have like me supported the team all our lives, they feel as I do that every season and every pointless sacking makes them bleed a bit less blue.

I couldn't care less where we end in the Division or how much polishing the cleaners do in the trophy room I just want to enjoy the games and have a pride in the Club and I have got less of that now than I had when we were excited about ending top six.

Football in general has become something to me akin to having a habit you want to break, you know its not right but somehow you need it, instead of it being a happy entertaining hour and a half a couple of times a week watching the players you support and the Manager in charge through thick and thin no matter how sh*t you know some of them are it has turned into Skys own over pundited, over analysed costly and biased soap opera and been taken over by Businessmen and Muppets who want to sit down and quietly watch without emotion while calling for the head of anyone not performing the way they think they should.

Circumstances don't matter...excuses are ignored and Managers/players are sent packing a lot of which get slaughtered as soon as they are with another Club.

I sort of mixed up my feelings of dissapointment in the top brass and dissapointment in fellow fans but I really am becoming more and more disalusioned with the game every year.

Good post.

Most of teams in England stick with the same manager and have done it for years. We seem to be the exception here at least from the big clubs. SAF and Wenger are going nowhere and looks like Dalglish is the man for L*pool. That is not the way for us. We are changing managers like socks but at least most of the players are same. We are not sacking players. This is how Roman sees the club and football. As long as he stays I'm not that hugely disappointed on the managerial change. Okay, I'd love us to have a long-time plan for manager as well but as long as we win trophies is it that bad?

What does it matter what a West Ham fan calls us, they're jealous and not going to win anything anytime soon. At least our owner has a face and is there all the time. What can you say about other big teams' owners. Do you see them? Are they cheering for the team?

 

[dkw]

Good post.

Most of teams in England stick with the same manager and have done it for years. We seem to be the exception here at least from the big clubs. SAF and Wenger are going nowhere and looks like Dalglish is the man for L*pool. That is not the way for us. We are changing managers like socks but at least most of the players are same. We are not sacking players. This is how Roman sees the club and football. As long as he stays I'm not that hugely disappointed on the managerial change. Okay, I'd love us to have a long-time plan for manager as well but as long as we win trophies is it that bad?

What does it matter what a West Ham fan calls us, they're jealous and not going to win anything anytime soon. At least our owner has a face and is there all the time. What can you say about other big teams' owners. Do you see them? Are they cheering for the team?

I disagree entirely, other than Utd and Arsenal pretty much every other team goes through managers the same way we have, and some are even worse.

 

[Elliott]

Great Guus Article

 

[Chippy]

I think the point of my post is being missed.

Its not the ammount of changes of Manager (although I'd ideally prefer stability) its the pointless and merciless way its all done.

Lets look back.

Raniari,

Good Manager, built a good squad of players who were improving, Roman came in and its quite usual for a new owner to want their own man but when would be a good time to have a new bloke waiting in the wings? not just after we Put a huge rival who has had the better of us for years out of the CL and before we play the next game in the competition thats for sure.

Mourinho,

Back to back titles, cups, and a really nice Coat.

One season second with a cup and the writings on the wall, six games into season four and hes out the door, I never liked his personality but the man was doing a good Job and should have been backed for at least one more season with the players he knew the team needed....pointless change.

Grant,

Nobodys choice for Manager and no pedigree to back it up, not a handsome man in some peoples eyes and his resemblence to a toad obviously made his managing a football team more difficult.

Given a contract and done nothing to say he shouldn't get another season, Managed through a time when the players and fans were on Mourinho cold turkey and although motivation was always going to be a problem with the huge difference personality wise between him and the previous Manager he done very well, CL final and only lost because Drogba had a hissy fit Anelka couldn't be bothered to take a penalty and JT tried too hard. nobody with a sense of fairness could honestly say he done less than expected when given the contract so to me an unfair sacking.

Scolari.

Great pedigree and came with a reputation of taking no prisoners and no crap from players.

Obviously mellowed in his old age but still got the team buzzing at the start, wanted his own players but only got Deco, Robinho was his idea of the player to get the team firing and when City snapped him up nobody filled the void in the vision he had for the team, he managed to get some superb perfomances out of the lads before either his training methods or the usual three quarter season lull hit the team, I think losing Drogbas loyalty cost him dearly.

I still would have given him some backing and a shot at another season on what the team played like early on but thats a bit more debateable.

Hiddink.

Came in and steadied the ship.

won a cup and generally tightened thigs up, hard to judge his time here as Scolari had lost the dressing room and new manager effect in my opinion had some role in the turnaround, Drogba came alive as soon as he wanted to play and thats enough to change a season with a player like him, If its his advice that made us let go of Ballack, Belletti, Cole and Carvalho replacing them with Benayoun then I think he might have to sharpen up his ideas on the squad if he is to return. not a sacking and a decent choice to make sure of the CL spot.

Ancelotti.

Great reputation and proven winner.

Came in and with the same basic squad Mourinho had in his third season bar a couple of additions but with the best players older and past their prime won Chelsea their first Double, record breaking goals tally and superb huge drubbings all over the place, attractive football 18 points out of a possible 18 against the main rivals for the title...12 goals for and 1 against in those games, a great dignified approach to the media, first season in England and just trying to learn the Language.

Cutbacks and wage scrimping leaves him with a small squad but expectations remain, a great start and bookies favourites for a runaway title looks a forgone conclusion come september, injuries to key players and Malaria for the best striker on the planet make for a difficult time, oh how a Carvalho, Ballack or Belletti would have been handy in those times but for a man with his Job on the line a Bruma a Jos or A Sturridge are understandably risky prospect, He sticks with the old guard hoping after returning from injuries they can play into some form, glimpses here and there but nothing more, we're out of the race for the title...fifth place and nobody gives us a hope of CL qualification, suddenly there are real signs of the old Chelsea...stuttering flickering signs but could we dare to dream?

Torres and Luiz are here repectively out of form and raw but the signs they will be invaluable next season are good, Carlo tries to integrate Torres in a bid to either appease the owner or a mistaken idea he really can offer as much as Drogba but it fails and the two together if ever to work needs a preseason and some unimportant games to have a chance.

Watches on powerless as his friend and Coach Butch is dimissed and his father dies back in his home country,

out of the CL after a blatent penalty was not given and instead of going to OT at 1-1 we are behind, a lacklustre performance at OT (a hard place to go when those lot are really up for it) and our CL hopes are dashed, we still have the league as a distant hope but a stupid error and an early UTD goal knock the stuffing out of the boys and one of the biggest turnarounds in PL history is no longer possible, 2 more unmotivaed performances and second place is all we could muster

Again a year left on his contract and after proving he can do it in the best league a manager is sacked, for me the worst of the sackings and with the most obvious circumstances for his difficulties.

 

[sizzler85]

This is one old Hiddink article that a chelsea fan would love to read now !

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/may/29/guus-hiddink-chelsea-fa-cup-final-achievements?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487

Content :

Guus Hiddink's five gifts to Chelsea

1) Brought Didier Drogba back into the fold

The Ivorian was an outsider under Luiz Felipe Scolari, his reputation tarnished by the memory of his dismissal in the Champions League final in Moscow and outbursts that his future lay elsewhere. He lacked form and fitness when he eventually returned, his state of mind so fragile that he flung a coin back into Burnley's travelling support after scoring in the ­Carling Cup elimination at Stamford Bridge. Yet under Hiddink his form at least returned. The Barcelona outburst cannot be ignored, but there have been 10 goals in 19 appearances and something approaching his battering-ram best.

2) Improving the players' fitness

Under Scolari, John Terry and Frank Lampard had been moved to complain to the manager that training sessions lacked appropriate intensity. This squad had grown used to the work rate demanded by Jose Mourinho and respond best to such demands. The Brazilian's approach did not sit easily with them. Yet Hiddink has proved inventive and, just as with the national sides he has coached in recent years, the emphasis has been placed on improving fitness on the assumption that fit bodies allow alert minds. The results have been clear.

3) Eked the best out of Florent Malouda

The French winger was becoming something of an expensive joke figure at the club, his £13.6m price tag rarely justified as he flitted through Scolari's reign mustering hardly a whimper. Yet ever since the Champions League quarter-final first leg at Liverpool he has been a man possessed. Asked to fill an advanced role on the left, where he can rekindle the ­telepathic ­relationship with Drogba he first developed at Guingamp in France, he has run riot. There have been three goals in his last five appearances. Suddenly, he looks the France international Chelsea thought they had signed.

4) Proved Chelsea are not one-trick ponies

Under Scolari, there was no Plan B. Chelsea played 4-3-3 and relied upon their full-backs, Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole, to provide the width and forward impetus. Under Hiddink they have been revolutionised. The return to fitness of Michael Essien and form of Drogba have helped, but would Scolari have ever considered converting Michael Ballack into an anchoring midfielder? Or employing Branislav Ivanovic as a first-choice full-back? Or thrusting Drogba and Nicolas Anelka up front as a pairing? His deployment of Lampard, one of the few to shine consistently all season, in a free role has also been refreshing.

5) Made Chelsea loved again

Scolari was close on this score, first with his free-flowing attacking football of the autumn and then as he almost dragged the team into complete mediocrity, much to the amusement of the Chelsea-baiters, but Hiddink has won friends wherever he has gone. The Dutchman's sense of humour has shone through, his reputation acknowledged instantly up and down the Premier League. At Sunderland on the season's final afternoon, he was applauded by the locals. His players do not have a bad word to say about him. Chelsea have found a figure who is universally liked and respected, and they are about to lose him back to Russia.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May be one thing that can change this time is sell malouda

 

[Mike 93]

im pretty sure it will be hiddink with van basten as a coach, then hinddink will go upstairs and van basten step up or boas come in?

 

[Guest]

I think the point of my post is being missed.

Its not the ammount of changes of Manager (although I'd ideally prefer stability) its the pointless and merciless way its all done.

Lets look back.

Raniari,

Good Manager, built a good squad of players who were improving, Roman came in and its quite usual for a new owner to want their own man but when would be a good time to have a new bloke waiting in the wings? not just after we Put a huge rival who has had the better of us for years out of the CL and before we play the next game in the competition thats for sure.

Mourinho,

Back to back titles, cups, and a really nice Coat.

One season second with a cup and the writings on the wall, six games into season four and hes out the door, I never liked his personality but the man was doing a good Job and should have been backed for at least one more season with the players he knew the team needed....pointless change.

Grant,

Nobodys choice for Manager and no pedigree to back it up, not a handsome man in some peoples eyes and his resemblence to a toad obviously made his managing a football team more difficult.

Given a contract and done nothing to say he shouldn't get another season, Managed through a time when the players and fans were on Mourinho cold turkey and although motivation was always going to be a problem with the huge difference personality wise between him and the previous Manager he done very well, CL final and only lost because Drogba had a hissy fit Anelka couldn't be bothered to take a penalty and JT tried too hard. nobody with a sense of fairness could honestly say he done less than expected when given the contract so to me an unfair sacking.

Scolari.

Great pedigree and came with a reputation of taking no prisoners and no crap from players.

Obviously mellowed in his old age but still got the team buzzing at the start, wanted his own players but only got Deco, Robinho was his idea of the player to get the team firing and when City snapped him up nobody filled the void in the vision he had for the team, he managed to get some superb perfomances out of the lads before either his training methods or the usual three quarter season lull hit the team, I think losing Drogbas loyalty cost him dearly.

I still would have given him some backing and a shot at another season on what the team played like early on but thats a bit more debateable.

Hiddink.

Came in and steadied the ship.

won a cup and generally tightened thigs up, hard to judge his time here as Scolari had lost the dressing room and new manager effect in my opinion had some role in the turnaround, Drogba came alive as soon as he wanted to play and thats enough to change a season with a player like him, If its his advice that made us let go of Ballack, Belletti, Cole and Carvalho replacing them with Benayoun then I think he might have to sharpen up his ideas on the squad if he is to return. not a sacking and a decent choice to make sure of the CL spot.

Ancelotti.

Great reputation and proven winner.

Came in and with the same basic squad Mourinho had in his third season bar a couple of additions but with the best players older and past their prime won Chelsea their first Double, record breaking goals tally and superb huge drubbings all over the place, attractive football 18 points out of a possible 18 against the main rivals for the title...12 goals for and 1 against in those games, a great dignified approach to the media, first season in England and just trying to learn the Language.

Cutbacks and wage scrimping leaves him with a small squad but expectations remain, a great start and bookies favourites for a runaway title looks a forgone conclusion come september, injuries to key players and Malaria for the best striker on the planet make for a difficult time, oh how a Carvalho, Ballack or Belletti would have been handy in those times but for a man with his Job on the line a Bruma a Jos or A Sturridge are understandably risky prospect, He sticks with the old guard hoping after returning from injuries they can play into some form, glimpses here and there but nothing more, we're out of the race for the title...fifth place and nobody gives us a hope of CL qualification, suddenly there are real signs of the old Chelsea...stuttering flickering signs but could we dare to dream?

Torres and Luiz are here repectively out of form and raw but the signs they will be invaluable next season are good, Carlo tries to integrate Torres in a bid to either appease the owner or a mistaken idea he really can offer as much as Drogba but it fails and the two together if ever to work needs a preseason and some unimportant games to have a chance.

Watches on powerless as his friend and Coach Butch is dimissed and his father dies back in his home country,

out of the CL after a blatent penalty was not given and instead of going to OT at 1-1 we are behind, a lacklustre performance at OT (a hard place to go when those lot are really up for it) and our CL hopes are dashed, we still have the league as a distant hope but a stupid error and an early UTD goal knock the stuffing out of the boys and one of the biggest turnarounds in PL history is no longer possible, 2 more unmotivaed performances and second place is all we could muster

Again a year left on his contract and after proving he can do it in the best league a manager is sacked, for me the worst of the sackings and with the most obvious circumstances for his difficulties.

Good post. I was thinking a while back that we at Chelsea have been extremely lucky with our managerial appointments over the last decade or so. Going back to Glen Hoddle till now, I can really only think of one manager who really failed us during this period and that was Scolari.

It's not like some of the managers we've had in (in the pre-Abramovich years) were even that good. Vialli was a good manager for us, yet sacked after being hopeless at Watford. As for Ruud Gullit, great player, did a good job as manager for us, but has been sacked after being rubbish at every club since (including the LA Galaxy, talk about a career falling off).

We've always seemed (mostly through chance probably) to get the best out of the coaches we've had (at least pre-Abramovich).

 

[deg0ey]

Good post. I was thinking a while back that we at Chelsea have been extremely lucky with our managerial appointments over the last decade or so. Going back to Glen Hoddle till now, I can really only think of one manager who really failed us during this period and that was Scolari.

It's not like some of the managers we've had in (in the pre-Abramovich years) were even that good. Vialli was a good manager for us, yet sacked after being hopeless at Watford. As for Ruud Gullit, great player, did a good job as manager for us, but has been sacked after being rubbish at every club since (including the LA Galaxy, talk about a career falling off).

We've always seemed (mostly through chance probably) to get the best out of the coaches we've had (at least pre-Abramovich).

So you could say that we have (or at least had) a knack for getting rid of managers at the exact right time...

 

[Star]

This is only a rumour, but it has come from within the Club, a guy that works in the Megastore department!

it's all over the corridors at the Bridge today that Guss Hiddink will be our new manager and Marco Van Basten will be our new coach.

it kinda explains Ray Wilkins sudden departure, to bring a replacement in like Van Basten then would have under minded Carlo more than sacking Wilkins himself.

also suggests the knives were out for Carlo long before our season went tits up, that is a disgrace in my opinion - a Dutch conspiracy with Arneson heavily involved ?

 

[deg0ey]

This is only a rumour, but it has come from within the Club, a guy that works in the Megastore department!

it's all over the corridors at the Bridge today that Guss Hiddink will be our new manager and Marco Van Basten will be our new coach.

it kinda explains Ray Wilkins sudden departure, to bring a replacement in like Van Basten then would have under minded Carlo more than sacking Wilkins himself.

also suggests the knives were out for Carlo long before our season went tits up, that is a disgrace in my opinion - a Dutch conspiracy with Arneson heavily involved ?

I'm guessing that they never intended him to be here for a long time. Maybe Roman's train of thought was "I'll bring in someone with a history of getting the best out of old guys for a couple of years, and then replace him with someone that has experience of working with youngsters to rebuild the squad when the players get too old" - is the best logic I could think of for planning out Carlo's departure before he even cocked anything up.

Edit: If this was in fact the case, and Carlo knew it when he took the job, it would go some way to explaining why he didn't seem that bothered by the Wilkins sacking or the constant speculation about whether he'd still be here next season

 

[Maksimov]

Dutch conspiracy with Arneson heavily involved ?

Why would Arnesen have anything to do with it? Besides, he's Danish.

 

[Andreas]

interesting.

 

[undertow]

Why would Arnesen have anything to do with it? Besides, he's Danish.

...and leaving the club this summer.

 

[dkw]

Why would Arnesen have anything to do with it? Besides, he's Danish.

Beat me to it, was gonna point out he isnt even Dutch. And as undertow said, he wont even be here next season so I doubt he could care less.

 

[Chippy]

I'm not interested where Arneson is from but from what Star says it does seem that Carlos futeure was decided before the "bad moment", I've got a taste in my mouth and its not a nice one.

I dread spitter Frank coming here so if this is true at least its not my worst scenario...mind you it would be lovely to see what its like on the Manager out side of the fence...I could wqait for the first loss and say "I hate Frank hes a gobbing gobsh*te" and when as is the obvious outcome for whoever comes in hes sacked, I could say "I never wanted him here anyway". then I'd be really proud of myself.

 

[dkw]

I'm not interested where Arneson is from but from what Star says it does seem that Carlos futeure was decided before the "bad moment", I've got a taste in my mouth and its not a nice one.

I dread spitter Frank coming here so if this is true at least its not my worst scenario...mind you it would be lovely to see what its like on the Manager out side of the fence...I could wqait for the first loss and say "I hate Frank hes a gobbing gobsh*te" and when as is the obvious outcome for whoever comes in hes sacked, I could say "I never wanted him here anyway". then I'd be really proud of myself.

Can I then back you up and agree I didnt want the twitchy gobsh*te also? We can be smug together...