Revealed: What Guus Hiddink has changed at Chelsea since replacing Jose Mourinho

THIBAUT COURTOIS has revealed what Guus Hiddink has ordered his misfiring Chelsea stars to do – and it is beginning to pay off.

 

Thibaut Courtois has opened up on new Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink

 

Dutch master Hiddink celebrated his first win as Chelsea interim manager since succeeding Jose Mourinho, as his team crushed Crystal Palace 3-0 at Selhurst Park to make it four games unbeaten now.

Goals from Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa – his third in his last two matches after just four strikes in the first five months of the campaign, produced only the second league away win of the season for Chelsea.

Player of the season Willian has so far netted eight goals, but fellow Brazilian Oscar, a revitalized player in the last few weeks, has scored two goals in four games.

 

revitalized player in the last few weeks, has scored two goals in four games.

And goalkeeper Courtois has revealed that it is because Hiddink has demanded that his team get their shooting boots on. The Belgian said: “The manager has said some different things that he wants us to do. The training is different.

“Sometimes it's a bit more tactical or a bit less. There are different type of little games we play - or sometimes more shooting on goal to give confidence to the strikers.”

The win at Selhurst eased Chelsea to six points away from the Premier League relegation zone, and though Hiddink afterwards insisted that a top four place is still a possibility at the end of the season, it still left the club some 13 points adrift.

But Courtois said: “In the last few weeks we have played some good football, but didn't always get the result.

“Just getting draws doesn't help, we have to win as well, that's why this victory was important. We have the FA Cup next against Scunthorpe, then West Brom and Everton at home - two games we should win.

“When results are not good the first one to get the bullet is the manager, but it's not only the manager - the players have to take responsibility as well. We were the ones not playing as well.

“Of course with a new manager some things change. Maybe for some players the mentality changed. It's difficult to explain. It's something psychological. Little changes. Maybe we needed a change to pick up our level again, I don't know.

“We are still the same team that last year were the champions with Mourinho so I don't think it's a new change.

“We know we are responsible. We had team meetings where we said the same, that “Ok the manager has gone but we are responsible - we need to pick up our level because we are not playing well enough for a Chelsea player”. Now we are stepping up our game and that's good.

“If we win against West Brom or Everton we could be eighth or ninth in a few weeks. Everything can go very fast, we just need to have the results."