Chelsea are in a bit of a bind. Enjoying something of a revival, the Blues are finally hitting form after a dismal campaign. A resounding thrashing against the struggling Manchester City has capped off a promising week as they seek to put the lowest point of the Roman Abramovich era behind them.
After sacking club legend José Mourinho in December, the search for a new Chelsea manager has been ongoing. There are links to Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone, Italians Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri and not much else beyond that. In previous years there have been plenty of candidates to satisfy Abramovich’s itchy trigger finger. Now? Not so much.
Simeone is very much considered to be staying at Atlético. He is one of the most loyal men in football, and stated earlier in the season that he would like to return to Lazio or Inter Milan as his next stop, where he was so successful during his playing career. The likelihood of him ending up at Stamford Bridge, despite the reports from not entirely credible sources, are slim to none.
Conte is a less than ideal appointment because he will spend the majority of the summer at the European Championships with Italy. We have seen what starting a pre-season late after international duty has done to other manager’s starts at their respective clubs (Louis Van Gaal a perfect example).
Allegri is an intriguing appointment, but would he willing to leave Champions League football for Stamford Bridge? With the prestige of the Premier League and increased wages it is possible, but not guaranteed. The acclimatisation from Italy to England is hardly smooth, and it can’t be known whether he would be a success.
But maybe the solution has already presented itself. Maybe it’s right in front of Roman Abramovich: Guus Hiddink. The Dutchman is in charge for his second temporary spell, and the Russian owner of the Blues should be doing everything in his power to keep him at the club until they can secure a long-term solution.
There are roadblocks. The Dutchman stated, per the Evening Standard, that he plans for the Chelsea job to be his last:
“I feel fit, I feel fresh and, every morning, I go with a smile,” he said. “Although we have a difficult time when there’s a loss, I love to go to Cobham, to the training field, so I feel fresh. On the other hand, young people must take over and I must retreat a bit. I will visit Chelsea often next season but I’m not thinking of working elsewhere.”
So he may take some convincing, there’s no doubt about that. Hiddink’s record speaks for itself in London. In his two tenures at the club spanning 35 games, they’ve only been beaten twice. That is outstanding. It took a resilient and classy Paris Saint-Germain to defeat them last week.
There’s no doubting there have still been performances leaving something to be desired since he took over, such as the three home draws with Watford, West Bromwich Albion and Everton. But the wins over Crystal Palace, Newcastle, Arsenal and last night’s thrashing of Manchester City showed the champion element that still remains in the squad.
Oscar stated his desire for Hiddink to stay and the players clearly enjoy playing for him much more than they did under Mourinho. They seem unchained in a way they certainly weren’t in the first half of this season. Eden Hazard may finally see a revival. Though he still hasn’t scored in the league since last season, meaning there’s a little while to go yet, his performances in the FA Cup have shown promise. His sale in the summer could help rebuild the squad, something it clearly needs.
That’s all the more reason they should give Hiddink a chance. The squad is clearly in transition, but he has found a way for them to play good football again. Whilst only a small sample size, having the confidence of the players is to win half the battle. A squad which has been under his control and which contains more of his “own” players would most likely improve even more.
This is why Roman Abramovich must use his good relationship with Hiddink to make sure there is another season of the Dutchman’s presence in the dugout. He could sign key players, get the club back on the track into the Champions League and ready for a new, long-term appointment in 2017.
