Guus Hiddink: Calm Amidst Chaos

Taking charge in an indescribably tricky spot, Guus Hiddink has exuded much-needed calm as he has turned Chelsea FC’s season around.

My grandfather was not a man who let his emotions dictate his actions. Looking at him relaxed in his favorite chair, chewing a jellybean from his reliably filled candy dish, it would be possible to surmise emotions were not something that troubled him at all.

If presented with any sort of chaos or disruption my grandfather would simply shrug and project a controlled tranquility I was always desperately envious of.

The greatest display of frustration/love/anger/joy I can recall seeing from him is when he thrust a pair of middle fingers in the direction of the television after a particularly error filled game from his beloved St. Louis Cardinals. To be fair, I remember that game, and the Cardinals were awful that day.

My grandmother, God bless her, was not a person who could be described as anything resembling tranquil. Riding with them in the backseat on a simple trip to our favorite restaurant Steak N’ Shake (if you’re from the Midwestern United States this is your favorite restaurant too) my brother and I were always treated to a hilarious juxtaposition in front of us.

In the passenger seat, my grandmother would be clutching her purse and nervously pointing out any potential dangers she perceived to be headed our way. It was as though we were traversing the center of a demolition derby instead of a lazy stretch of Illinois highway. Meanwhile, my grandfather would have one arm casually draped outside the driver-side window, a cigarette resting between his lips and a look of bemusement across his face.

When confronted with any degree of stress in my life I always try to remember this image of my grandfather. I may have more of my grandmother’s inclination towards paranoia residing in my makeup, but outwardly I attempt (and generally fail) to present an image of assured calm. More than anything my grandfather just looked cool and confidently above whatever silliness was happening around him.

Silly would be one way to describe the state of affairs Guus Hiddink inherited upon his (second) appointment as Chelsea’s interim manager. Jose Mourinho, for all his virtues, does not usually (ever) exit a club in a neat and tidy manner. When Hiddink sat down to manage his first match against Watford, Chelsea FC resembled a room that had been left unattended with a toddler and several gallons of paint.

The infamous ‘three rats’ sign held by a Chelsea supporter during the Sunderland match still induces queasiness in my stomach when I consider the bitterness Hiddink stepped into.

Hiddink walked into a tornado of derision and unrest and he casually sat down, adjusted his glasses, and began doing the work needed to salvage Chelsea’s season

In addition to the (somewhat hyperbolic) hostility in the stands, an apparent mutiny existed in the locker room. Whatever motivational tactics Mourinho previously possessed seemed to have abandoned him quicker than Chelsea’s fall from title favorites to relegation fighters, and it would be possible to theorize that by simply not being Mourinho, Hiddink has had an easier time inspiring and unifying the squad.

That line of thought tremendously undersells the work Hiddink has done. Diego Costa was a plane with a broken wing in the first half of the season, constantly drifting out wide, when his role as a center forward rather explicitly states where he should have been locating himself.  Hiddink’s arrival has seen Costa return to the bulldozing striker he was last season. He has 9 goals in 12 matches in all competitions under Hiddink. He had 4 in 21 games under Mourinho.

Cesc Fabregas was offering little more to Chelsea’s midfield than a traffic light signaling ‘green’ to oncoming attackers. Hiddink showed up and now the Spaniard’s eye for passing has become more eagle than rat and unless I’ve been imbibing too much during matches (possible) he appears to be upholding his defensive responsibilities much better.

Reestablishing the effectiveness of the Fabregas/Costa connection has been essential, but the squad as a whole has been much improved. Even Eden Hazard is showing signs of life in between demure gazes to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

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Hiddink walked into a tornado of derision and unrest and he casually sat down, adjusted his glasses, and began doing the work needed to salvage Chelsea’s season. While Mourinho never seemed far from the center of whatever controversy the club was involved in, Hiddink has perched himself confidently above the fray.

During matches when the camera pans to the Chelsea bench to show Hiddink (and Hiddink is shown far less frequently than Mourinho was) he always seems to be carrying the same aloof expression. This is not to suggest he doesn’t care, or is disinterested in proceedings, but it seems that no matter what is happening on the pitch Hiddink is not going to allow himself to become unsettled or lose his cool.

There is nothing he hasn’t seen. There is nothing that he can’t deal with.

Rumors are intensifying that former Juventus and current Italian national team boss Antonio Conte will soon be named Chelsea’s manager. This would be fine. Conte has a great track record and while Hiddink has seemed somewhat open to extending his managerial career beyond this season, you would have to seriously question if a man of his age would be the right person to implement the rebuild the team desperately needs.

Even though it looks like he’s only going to be with this Chelsea team for a short while, the way Hiddink has conducted himself during an extremely tumultuous period is going to stick with me. There was no problem too big to not be dismissed with the simple shrug of his shoulders.

Next: Chelsea FC vs Southampton: Team News, Prediction and Stats

Anger, frustration, melting down and yelling at someone because they aren’t acting the way you want them to; these things aren’t cool. Maintaining your composure with your arm draped outside of a car window enjoying the breeze is cool. I had a great example of this when I was growing up, but it’s always nice to be reminded.