NEARLY two years have passed since Jose Mourinho blamed some of his players lack of fight for a Chelsea defeat at Crystal Palace that he claimed would ultimately cost them the title. They are sentiments that will not be lost on new boss Gus Hiddink today either.
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| Guus Hiddink hopes Eden Hazard can get back to his world-beating best ahead of Crystal Palace clash |
Eden Hazard was one of the idols the then Special One pointed an accusing finger at and he will be in the Chelsea squad the Dutchman takes back to Palace this afternoon.
The circumstances this time are very different from March, 2014, with revival rather than title success as the operative words.
Hazard's failure to reproduce the form this season that gave him a 'world beater' tag during the last one remains a mystery. But Hiddink has spotted a crucial difference.
That is why he has switched on the Hazard lights, so to speak, ahead of a clash with a Palace side that have plenty of that fighting spirit Mourinho craved and a much higher position in the Premier League to prove it.
The young Belgian, he reveals, is ready, willing and able to parade his talents again, but this time with the spherical proverbials his former manager feared he didn't have!
Hiddink, little more than two weeks into the five month rescue mission Roman Abramovich has entrusted to him for a second time, has seen enough to believe that Hazard could do more than most to help propel Chelsea back up the Premier League table they topped last May.
He says: "I haven't experienced him as a coach in the past, and I've had him for just a few days because he was injured.
"But he came back with a strong character and wanted to play in the last games despite having only three days' of training. Normally if a player has been injured he likes to take time to get into good physical and mental shape, but he was eager to play against Watford.
"You could see when he was warming up, looking at me saying: 'Bring me, bring me (on).' That is an indication he can get back to the performance levels we are used to.
"He had a difficult game at Old Trafford, where they were searching for him all over the pitch, but he reacted well. Very strong, his character. If he does that he will come back to the levels we are used to - and he is an outstanding player."
Hiddink admitted that it won't be easy for Hazard. His talent makes him a No 1 target for opponents.
"They are allowed to do so within the rules. He shows a lot of danger, so people get very alert where he's going. Which means the other ones, when the opponents are focusing on one player, have to take on more responsibility. It's not dependent just on him."
As a result the interim boss is now looking for more leaders to step up to the plate.
"That's what I'm asking now of players," he revealed. "They must demand it of each other.
"I've seen the commitment and intensity in training and in games. But in the technical way of playing, I like to see some players take the lead from central defence into midfield. Tactically you can do a lot with two or three words to your companion in front of you.
"I want the players to be in charge. To compare, there were a few more guys who took that tactical lead last time I was here. Now I'm asking these guys to take the lead."
Whatever happens, however, Hiddink has no personal plans in mind when his second interim spell finishes at the end of the season.
"I'll do this job until the end of the season and then the sun is shining. I don't know," he added.
"I got a call to help out in a rather critical situation. but wasn't not thinking about myself or what the outside world was thinking
"My first spell here in 2009 was rather good because the team reacted very well, and we had very good results. Within a short time I had this affection with the club. The professionalism of all the staff and the board were very committed.
"This spell is more difficult than the previous one, but I didn't look at the games coming up and say I wouldn't touch it. I just wanted to help out."
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