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| Guus Hiddink insists he is glad to be back at Chelsea |
"I SHOULDN'T be here," Guus Hiddink kept saying as he eased himself into the same chair he had occupied in 2009.
In fact, the avuncular Dutchman admitted that his wife Liesbeth was a bit "p****d off" that the call from Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to help out once again had come at all, because they had booked a Christmas holiday in India.
Liesbeth has had to go on her own - and Guus is thinking of claiming the cost back from his boss.
In all seriousness, Hiddink admitted the desire and passion to coach are still burning, even after bruising experiences with Russia, Turkey and especially Holland most recently. He could not resist.
And, as he demanded the same emotions from a Chelsea squad that had distinctly lacked spirit under Jose Mourinho, he admitted he may be an interim boss until May, but he could still "kick them around a bit".
Good old Guus is back. Charged with the job of rescuing Chelsea again, just like he did six years ago when Luiz Felipe Scolari failed.
Then, he lost one game, won the FA Cup, reached the semi-finals of the Champions League and finished third in the league.
This time he reckons his task will be tougher, because the Premier League is more volatile. This will be no holiday even though the job starts in earnest at home to resurgent Watford on Boxing Day..
"I had big plans. Every Christmas, if my work lets me, we go to another continent," he said.
"This time it was India. In winter, we escape from Europe. But I had to cancel it.
"At home they were p****d off. That was the first reaction, but they know me.
"The second reaction was, 'You like your job so much you still have the desire and passion to do it'. My wife could see it in my eyes.
"So she's going without me. Maybe it's too late, but I might ask Chelsea to pay for it!"
Hiddink admitted he was disappointed to be sacked by Holland in the summer but stressed he had no intention of turning his back on the game.
"As long as I feel the desire, I will go on," he said. "I'm in my 70th year, and I don't want to go for a long time. But a short period suits me and the club now.
"With Chelsea, it was a quick decision. I have the experience to know when even though the job is tough, I should go for it. In the past, everything in this club was well organised. It's still a warm club."
And he insisted he will have no problem laying down his authority even though he is only a temporary manager until, Abramovich hopes, Pep Guardiola is persuaded to take over permanently in the summer.
"Even if your boss is only temporary, he can kick you around," said Hiddink.
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| Hiddink won the FA Cup with Chelsea in 2009 with a 2-1 win over Everton |
"I'm not going to be begging them to perform. They have a profound obligation to perform. They are here at a big club. They are well paid. They must have the heart full of the desire of an amateur.
"If they don't have that desire, then I will say, 'Thank you very much, goodbye'. I don't need players who don't have the desire.
"I don't know why they have not been performing. It's difficult to judge. But I don't want to know. I want to have a blank approach to them. I have to make my own decisions."
Last time he was here, the players bought Hiddink an engraved Rolex watch as a going away present after the 2009 FA Cup win. Many of them - and the fans - wanted him to stay on.
"It has a very prominent place in my house in Amsterdam," he said. "I'd like another one now."
It is a few years ago I was here in a similar situation,” he said.
“Last week they were one point off the relegation places which was frightening for everyone in the club.”
Hiddink refused to rule out the possibility of his second spell as Chelsea manager lasting beyond next May.
“I have to feel inside my heart that I have that passion to work with the guys. We said let’s go to May and then we’ll see what will happen,” he said.
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