Guus bows out with victory
-
Guus surprised by Blues adoration
Guus Hiddink admitted he was surprised by the outpouring of affection from the Chelsea fans after his final match in charge at Stamford Bridge ended with a 2-0 win over Blackburn.
The Dutchman - who took temporary charge in February and steered the Blues back into the top three, into the FA Cup final as well as within touching distance of the Champions League final - is set to return to his full-time post with the Russian national team at the end of the season.
That, though, did not stop his name being chanted by the Chelsea faithful this afternoon, and Hiddink was given a guard of honour by the players following their post-match lap of appreciation.
"It was a nice way to say goodbye with a victory,'' said Hiddink. "It was nice appreciation from the crowd, and to be honest, I did not expect this when I am here for a relatively short period to do my job. So this reaction of the crowd was surprising for me, and I would like to thank them.
"I expected it to be respectful from the heart, but not more. That is why I was positively surprised by the reaction of the people, so thanks. We enjoyed the atmosphere, but the season is not over for me and the team. We would love to finish it off with the FA Cup.''
Hiddink is set to return to his Russian "adventure'' following the FA Cup final, determined to honour in full the contract with the national federation.
However, the Dutchman - who took Holland, South Korea and most recently Australia to the latter stages of the World Cup - admitted it was only natural to wonder if he was making the right decision to leave Stamford Bridge.
"I have many second thoughts. Sometimes third thoughts. You cannot avoid them,'' he said. "You do not have a button to turn them off, but that is how it is. When I have to leave and I see the reaction of the players and how they have worked, I feel a kind of sadness. That is for sure, but that is the reality.''
Hiddink added: "Russia is a country that needs to be developed. I have given my commitment to them, with pleasure, and I have to fulfil that - but that does not mean that it is difficult to leave this atmosphere.''
Hiddink accepted whoever comes in - with AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti reported to be the top target - must look to refresh the Chelsea squad to keep them competitive.
"When you want to compete, you have to renew your squad almost every year,'' he said. "For the FA Cup, Carling Cup, Premier League and Champions League, you need a squad of real depth in quality. If you want to compete for first position, you need to be able to use a lot of players. You have to analyse the squad. The players who are now 'ageing', around 30, they need also to be rested every now and then.''
Hiddink, 62, refused to be drawn on his own future past 2010. "I am not the youngest any more. Sometimes you must know when to stop,'' he said, "but as long as I feel energetic that I can deliver and as long as I receive the energy from the group and the players, then I can continue.
"One year ago, I would not have thought that I would have managed Chelsea, so I cannot predict what happens after the Russia adventure.''
Blackburn, meanwhile, have a completely different objective to Chelsea, having secured their top-flight status a couple of weeks ago under Sam Allardyce. "A club like ours tries its very best and, if we can get in the top half and beat the big boys now and again, that is where we lie,'' he said.
As to whether anyone could crack the top four, Allardyce reflected: "Aston Villa have had a good go by spending considerable amounts of money and nearly got there. Everton are always around there and Manchester City, if they spend the billions they have got, will get there eventually if they are not too impatient. But the top four do lose games to the lesser sides, and that makes the Premier League so exciting.''
-
He did well seriously.
Maybe 1-2 matches he did badly..e.g the Chelsea match aganist Spurs. That was his only loss.