Guus Hiddink is a clever man, there’s no doubt about it although it doesn’t really take a clever man to suss that sooner or later, if we’re going to have sustained success, Chelsea need leadership stability. And no, I don’t mean John Terry sort of leadership – although clearly having him and Lampard to look to when our manager’s have been as permanent as a Katie Price boyfriend, has helped – I mean the sort of leadership stability that comes from having a good manager and letting him stay long enough to establish himself as a great manager.
So, when it was pointed out to me that Hiddink has been holding Manchester United up as a club we could learn lessons from, as much as I’d love to say he’s wrong – he’s right. Chelsea’s former caretaker manager says “If you look at Manchester United, they are the example that clubs need stability. This is what Chelsea need as well. I have told Roman that and I think they are convinced as well now. Look at the record of Carlo, he won the double. Of course, if you win the double and you go it is harsh. Carlo did well for the last two years but, hopefully, this decision will bring success as well.”
Whether Andre Villa-Boas is the manager we should be keeping long-term or not, Hiddink says “It is a very young age for Villas-Boas to be Chelsea’s manager, but he has already proved at Porto he is good. It depends on the quality of the manager and how he deals with senior players. Age does not have to mean the players consider him as a brother. If they feel he is straightforward and has integrity, he will be fine.
He has to win respect. At big clubs, some leading players – like JT and Lampard – have a kind of respect for the club as well. They know the standards and what is required at Chelsea. The Chelsea squad have been together a long time, with new additions coming in. They have their own pride as a group and Villas-Boas can manage them. It is a very young age to be at Chelsea, but he has proved at Porto that he is good. The Premier League is different, but young people must be given a chance.”