CHELSEA REVIVAL IS BEING BUILT ON GROUP HUGS
WHISPER IT, but Chelsea seem to be turning their season around.
OK, a run of four games without defeat may be another false dawn; there have been more than one of those this season. But there is belief at the club’s Cobham HQ that this latest revival has substance.
Togetherness: that has been the buzzword of Guus Hiddink’s second reign. It was an emerging theme even before his arrival.
Following Jose Mourinho’s firing, the players held a meeting ahead of the clash with Sunderland on December 19. Led by captain John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic, the squad discussed the importance of moving on from Mourinho’s dismissal. Some got on fine with the Special One, others had a purely professional relationship with him.
It was agreed that every Chelsea goal, whether the first or the fifth, be celebrated by all the outfield players. It may seem trivial but the message it conveys is important.
The players stuck to their plan. All three goals against Sunderland prompted a 10-man group hug. The theme has continued in the three matches since.
Chelsea’s strength in the Roman Abramovich era has been in having a squad capable of managing itself. But with Petr Cech, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Michael Ballack gone, there have been questions about their direction in times of crisis. Now the spirit is burning strongly.
‘We are playing for our futures,’ said goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. ‘We know we are responsible, too. In football it is always the manager who is the first to be criticised.
‘But the players have to take responsibility as well. We were the ones not playing well.
‘Of course, with a new manager things change. Maybe for some players the mentality changed.’
It raises the question of why the performances under Mourinho were so poor. Indeed, suspicions of an anti-Mourinho clique within the dressing room were rife during the final weeks of the Portuguese’s reign.
Mourinho knew it, accusing his players of ‘tactical sabotage’ in the loss to Leicester. The atmosphere at Chelsea during his final weeks of his reign was poisonous. Sporting director Michael Emenalo described a ‘palpable discord’ between the players and the manager.
So, one of Hiddink’s first missions was to lighten the mood at Cobham. Mission accomplished.
During his first team meeting, the Dutchman made clear he would do all he could to protect his players.
Some felt they had been hung out to dry by Mourinho earlier in the season. He, of course, viewed his public criticism of players as a
means of motivation. The team were not on the same wavelength. Hiddink will ensure Chelsea’s dirty linen is not washed in public.
He also spoke of releasing the shackles after Mourinho’s more pragmatic approach. Oscar’s recent performances are testament to that. But discipline remains integral to Hiddink’s ethos.
‘Very talented players invest in the dirty work, and not just the beautiful game that they can play,’ he said after the 3-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday.
His reintegration of John Mikel Obi into the starting XI in search of balance has been a masterstroke.
Hiddink’s approach to training is relaxed. He rarely takes a hands-on role, instead allowing his assistants Steve Holland and Eddie Newton to lead.
But the 69-year-old has no qualms about interjecting to ensure his instructions are understood.
‘He likes a giggle, but when it’s business, it’s business,’ said one Chelsea source. ‘He has a calming and reassuring aura. He’s like Carlo Ancelotti in that respect.
‘The training ground is less intense, that’s for sure.’
One setback is that Eden Hazard will be missing for up to a fortnight as he recovers from a hip injury, but the interim boss will have a plan.
Chelsea’s players are fond of Hiddink. The same could not be said of Mourinho.