Guus Hiddink has warned Chelsea’s flair players they must relish the ‘dirty work’ to turn the Blues’ season on its head. Interim boss Hiddink tipped John Obi Mikel to spearhead a Chelsea revival, backing the Nigeria midfielder to add much-needed defensive stability to the Stamford Bridge outfit.
Hiddink warned Chelsea stars like Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian that unless they invest in their fair share of the nitty gritty ‘this league will kill you’.
Chelsea swept past Crystal Palace 3-0 at Selhurst Park for Hiddink’s first Blues victory thanks to goals from Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa, while Hazard will undergo scans on Monday to reveal the extent of a groin injury.
‘We’ve started working and if the team is not doing well through a long period then you have to look for security, and that’s why we emphasised on good, hard work, tactically and a defensive way,’ said Hiddink.
‘The very talented players, they start working also, to invest in the dirty work and not just the beautiful game they can play, because this league is very demanding.
‘And if you think you can do it just on your quality, what’s more given by talent than nature, then this league will kill you.’
Mikel provided the perfect buffer to Chelsea’s back four to allow the likes of Cesc Fabregas and the excellent Willian to dictate the terms of the visitors’ victory in south London.
A hapless Hazard trudged off after just 15 minutes with a groin problem, his struggles this season encapsulated by his 2,289-minute goal drought with Chelsea.
While Hiddink was cautious on Hazard’s situation and said an MRI scan would be needed on Monday to assess the extent of the damage, Chelsea’s caretaker boss was happy to lavish praise on the resurgent Mikel.
234pulse
No comments:
Post a Comment