Chelsea greats believe Hiddink is the perfect choice to get things back on track at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea greats believe Hiddink is the perfect choice to get things back on track at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea great John Hollins reckons Guus Hiddink is the ideal man to restore unity to a Stamford Bridge dressing room splut by the methods of sacked manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Hiddink was appointed as Chelsea's new boss until the end of the season here Wednesday and Hollins has no doubt the Dutchman, who will continue as manager of the Russian national side, can succeed where Scolari failed.
"I'm sure he'll bring positive vibes and positive feelings to the club," Hollins told Sky Sports News. Hollins, a member of Chelsea's Cup-winning teams of the early 1970s before going on to manage the London club for three years in the 1980s, added.
"Over the next two or three weeks they have some massive games and they need to win. I think Hiddink will be able to bring the players together.
Positive thoughts
"He'll bring positive thoughts and keep everyone singing from the same hymn sheet and I'm sure he's got a very good hymn sheet because he has a great record."
Another great, Ron Harris, who played at Chelsea for 19 years felt Hiddink's move could well turn out to be a permanent one.
"Guus has been appointed now until the end of the season because, with the results they've been having lately, they needed to bring someone in to keep the flag flying," Harris told PA Sport.
"It's a good appointment and he has a good track record having done two jobs in the past. But I wouldn't have thought that would be a long-term answer as I'm not sure people would be happy about that.
"I'm not saying it can't be done but I'm not sure Chelsea would want that.
"He comes with a good track record but so do some of the others whose names have been linked. Come the end of the season, though, if they were to do well then I think the owner has the power to convince him to stay and I'm sure that's what would happen.
"If he does well enough then the hierarchy at Chelsea could convince him to stay on."
Scolari, who coached his native Brazil to World Cup glory in 2002, only took over at Chelsea from Avram Grant shortly before the start of the current season. He was sacked on Monday after Chelsea had slipped to fourth in the Premier League table, seven points behind leaders Manchester United.
