Now don't mistake me here, I'm not saying that Hiddink as good as deserves a medal if we win anything this season, but I can't help but think some of his work back as interim helped give Antonio a better chance to be more successful straight away, and the rest as they say is history.

Now the results were not anything to shout home about, tactically he looked a shadow of the genius we were treated too in 2009 and yes he should probably have played Tammy sooner than he did, but the job he was required to do ran a lot deeper than that.

Now before I go into this I appreciate everything Jose has done for the club and always will, but the job he did in 15/16 was wretched. The players were mentally drained, he totally lost the plot and the atmosphere and spirit at the club was at an all time low. What is happening at Chelsea and United this season ends any doubt about who holds most of the blame for last season, it was Jose not the players being "rats".

I'm surprised Hiddink agreed to come back under those circumstances and he has my full admiration and respect for doing so, he could have dined on his 2009 success and let someone else deal with the ruble, but he came back to help us.

I read a few times that his training methods roughed up the players a bit as he felt they needed it and you can see (even in some games under Guus too) there seems to be a bigger mental and physical toughness these days, and it also can't be stressed enough the all time low environment he inherited, he had a job on to get even a semi good feel factor back.

The work Guus did with Hazard I can't praise him enough for, Jose played him to the ground to the point of mental and physical exhaustion. He was injury prone for the first time and his career and Hiddink decided to bench him for a couple of months, and it worked, after that he came back in the side and as soon as he got back up to speed he was back to the Hazard we use to know and has been ever since.

The squad was broken beyond repair when Jose left, Conte has come in and produced absolute miracles by getting the performances and the tactical aspect of our play back to what it should be so soon, however I can't help but feel it would have taken a lot longer had we given Jose the season before dismissing him.

Edited November 28, 20169 yr by Argo

I think if there's one thing Hiddink gifted to Conte, it's the chemistry of the team, their trust on each other.

He may of got the spirit back and helped with his man management, but there wasn't a great improvement in our overall play. Let's face it we were never going down.

33 minutes ago, Richard P said:

He may of got the spirit back and helped with his man management, but there wasn't a great improvement in our overall play. Let's face it we were never going down.

I disagree, Hiddink atleast gave us some very good displays what happened in those few months under Jose was totally unprecedented, we looked completely beyond broken.

Not that I would accuse Hiddink/the club of throwing games because that is ridiculous but part of me wonders if the club were happy to not be in Europe. Looking back at last season, once CL went there was no real urgency or push to get Europa. 

Really can't see the players/Hiddink saying "let's lose this one so we don't get into Europe" but I am sure it was in the back of their mind. 

9 minutes ago, JM7 said:

Not that I would accuse Hiddink/the club of throwing games because that is ridiculous but part of me wonders if the club were happy to not be in Europe. Looking back at last season, once CL went there was no real urgency or push to get Europa. 

Really can't see the players/Hiddink saying "let's lose this one so we don't get into Europe" but I am sure it was in the back of their mind. 

I see what you mean, we fell of the wagon a bit post Villa. Upto then i think we were in the top four in the form table from when Guus took over.

In short, no I don't think so.

Conte inherited a pretty broken squad and the early season capitulations against Arsenal and Liverpool are testament to that. 

Conte, for me, takes all of the credit for  instilling a winning attitude and good playing style.

I thought Hiddink was a bad appointment personally. 

17 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

In short, no I don't think so.

Conte inherited a pretty broken squad and the early season capitulations against Arsenal and Liverpool are testament to that. 

Conte, for me, takes all of the credit for  instilling a winning attitude and good playing style.

I thought Hiddink was a bad appointment personally. 

Ofcourse this revival and the speed of it is all on Conte, however there were some decent displays under Hiddink which convinced me last season was a one off and not a massive decline which at one point i seriously feared was the case.

Hiddink does deserve a trophy:

- rejuvenated Costa

- rejuvenated Hazard

- rejuvenated Fabregas

- rejuvenated Mikel

First step was letting go of Mourinho. Like you say he was the most to blame, along with a really poor preseason preparation. 

After that i think it was just a case of giving it time. Letting the dust settle and for everyone, players and supporters, to move on and be a but more relaxed about it all.

 

8 hours ago, PloKoon13 said:

Hiddink does deserve a trophy:

- rejuvenated Costa

- rejuvenated Hazard

- rejuvenated Fabregas

- rejuvenated Mikel

Dunno about rejuvenated.

Costa maybe but Hazard was still playing poorly up until the last six or so games of the season. Fabregas was still blowing hot and cold and Mikel was just getting picked, there was no noticeable change to his usual steady but unspectacular style.

Our overall form and performances weren't great under Hiddink. 

Totally disagree. Hiddink first time around was great. Let's not be too biased, second spell not great.

Would even say less than average. We lost a lot of points in our unbeaten run.

Like Richard P said we were never going down.

Look at tottenham, unbeaten until last weekend but what's their league position?

Will always take 2 losses and 3 wins over a 5 match unbeaten streak because its more points on the board at the end of the day no matter how ugly it looks when compared with 5 unbeaten.

Credit for steering them out of troubled waters but no credit for foundations to allow Conte stamp authority.

Let's give credit where due, so Credit to Hiddink for helping steady the team to a mid table finish and credit to Conte for steering them to the top of the table.

Hiddink steadied the ship and stopped the madness, he was ok second time around but nothing spectacular. I think he took the relegation battle a big too seriously, there were games against teams around us he could have gone for the kill, instead of taking the draw. I don't know what could happen had Jose stayed on, we probably still stay up, but half of the team would ask for a transfer .

My personal opinion is that the team as it is now, is ALL down to conte. His work ethic, tactics and man management are spot on. And the players have more respect for him because he has 'been there' at the highest level as a player. 

Don't think hiddink deserves much credit at all...you could argue Mourinho's departure alone lifted players he fell out with like Costa...when he took over, hiddink had enough games to get into Europe, win the fa cup and go a few rounds in champions league...but our season was over just three months after he arrived and he won one measly League game at home in five months...bizarrely seems to think getting club to 10th with that group of players was an achievement...yes better than Mourinho was doing, but not by much

As our sponsor is Yokohama Tyres... 

Jose had driven the team bus over a row of spikes, causing holes and leaking air at an alarming rate. Hiddink hastily plugged up the holes and pumped some air back in.

The repaired tyres functioned in a satisfactory manner, but the bus still needed new tyres. 

In order to get new tyres, the bus had to reach the repair depot where expert mechanic Conte was waiting with fresh Yokohamas. With Guus in the driver's seat, the bus did indeed make it to the depot in decent shape.

9 hours ago, offside said:

As our sponsor is Yokohama Tyres... 

Jose had driven the team bus over a row of spikes, causing holes and leaking air at an alarming rate. Hiddink hastily plugged up the holes and pumped some air back in.

The repaired tyres functioned in a satisfactory manner, but the bus still needed new tyres. 

In order to get new tyres, the bus had to reach the repair depot where expert mechanic Conte was waiting with fresh Yokohamas. With Guus in the driver's seat, the bus did indeed make it to the depot in decent shape.

 

You have to credit the bloke at the repair depot who managed to find a buyer for the sh*tty old tyres ... :)

If anything, Jose laid the foundations for Conte by ensuring he had a small squad. Yet Conte is still underachieving, and unable to get his players to stand in the right places.

AVB laid the foundations for Robbie D, that laid a foundation for Rafa the fat Dipper waite,r  that laid the foundations for Guus that f**ked off to somewhere that no one knows about. 

 

Then f**kin Don Tony Conte came and did his sh*t.

 

 

 

 

NOPE NOPE and NOPE.

Hiddink literally did nothing worthwhile with the team/squad. No change in formation, no change of personnel unless forced by injury. Only person who deserves any and all credit is CONTE.