By Tendai Chisiri
Chelsea coach Guus Hiddink has urged his players to play with heart and desire as current league champions in the remaining eight games this season, all of them in the Barclays Premier League according to the club’s official website.
He has spoken what he is anticipating from the players in the remaining matches. From the senior players, there is the willingness to fight for all that is still possible and the right response when matters go against them during the games, and from the younger members of the squad given chances, he wants to see signs of development work in training paying off during games. He is setting targets for the coming weeks as per his description.
‘First of all we want to get the maximum out of the team regarding the league table, to get the best position possible,’ he said
‘But also we appeal to the players to say hey, you are a big club which has had a very difficult season and is recovering step by step. We are unbeaten in the league so far since I took over, and when you play as a big club in a difficult situation, you must have pride as well.
‘We say to them you are champion from last year so play with your heart and play with desire, and I think against West Ham the players showed desire, especially in the second half when they regained their confidence. It is about personal pride.’
As a further illustration, Willian was used by the manager, a player he knows well from working with him in Russia as well as at Chelsea.
It is known that Willian doesn’t normally lose many balls and in the first half against West Ham by his standard, he lost some easy balls in possession when not under pressure, but he knows that being a big player he has to react, which he did in the second half and that is the reaction we like to see from players in difficult times.’
Moving onto the emerging prospects, the coach highlighted a contribution, Betrad Traore a second-half substitute against the Hammers, made to the move that led to Chelsea’s penalty.Betrad Traore has progressed since December and we are working daily with him. If you see for instance his lay-off which meant Willian really could penetrate and give the final pass to Loftus Cheek, you hardly notice it but it was a very soft lay-off, five yards, and we have worked on those things. He progressed very well in January and February and he is proving that now in games.
‘The Premier League is difficult which is why I bring the young players like Betrad Traore, Loftus Cheek and Kennedy Lampard and Terry in every now and then. It is difficult for them to already be key players. At 19 or 20 years old it is a little too much to ask them to be like those who are years and years here like Lampard and Drogba. They must be additional to a good team but they can be useful squad players
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