ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:GUUS HIDDINK maintains he will leave Chelsea at the end of the season, despite enjoying a healthy relationship with the club's owner, Roman Abramovich. Chelsea's part-time manager spoke fondly of London and the British way of life before today's game against Wigan, but insisted he will return to his primary job as Russia's international coach in May.
Hiddink yesterday described his association with the owner as one founded on honesty and the frank exchange of views.
“With all respect, I am very open-minded to give my opinion whether it is the owner, the boss, the chairman, whoever. There is respect from my side, but I speak frankly in these matters without a second agenda. For me it is open. I give my opinion,” said Hiddink.
“He (Abramovich) likes sometimes explanations. Not in a reporting way of explanations but ‘how is that?’ That is okay. If people are interested seriously, then we can talk about this.”
Another of Hiddink’s predecessors, Avram Grant, was fired at the end of last season despite coming within one win of claiming the Premier League and losing a Champions League final on penalties, but as the owner of a club of Chelsea’s stature Hiddink believes the Russian owner is within his rights to demand success.
“When you are at this club with this potential, then you can be impatient. But to me he didn’t require or demand anything which made me think this man is impatient,” he said. “But, of course, we are at the top level and we have to be impatient, but impatient with everything and not turn into the trap of being over-nervous.”
Hiddink insists Abramovich has a keen knowledge of football that can be traced back to before he purchased the club from Ken Bates in 2003.
“Sometimes we talk about football because he is, what I learned in the past, not just for Chelsea but also for Russian football, very interested in football. Not just the world around football but football where we are all brought up. That is what he likes very much.”
He must also like the impact the Dutch manager has had on Chelsea’s results and performances. Two tough opening games did not allow Hiddink a bedding-in period, but the defeats of Aston Villa and Juventus were as convincing as 1-0 victories could be, though the man who won the European Cup with PSV Eindhoven was disappointed with the space afforded both sides after Chelsea had taken the lead.
He is trying to instil in his side an attitude that allows a relentless yet attractive style of football.
He is unperturbed at the prospect of Steve Bruce’s Wigan side adopting a defensive approach today at Stamford Bridge.
“That might have risks because I like to play with the whole team as much as possible, as high as possible. Of course there are risks, but at the end you get your advantage.
“That’s the way I like it. And we must not forget that we play to enjoy ourselves but seriously, but also to be attractive to the fans.”
GuardianService
