Hi all,
Since Guus Hiddink's name has now been linked with Chelsea, in yet another conspiracy theory posed this time, by media all over the world, what say you guys?
1. Do you believe Mourinho will stay on if he loses the EPL (or Champs League) this season?
2. Can Hiddink coach Chelsea and Russia at the same time?
3. Can Hiddink do better than Mourinho?
Again, 200 words please (use auto word counter link on the right).
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At your service,
Ernest Luis
The Postman
The New Paper
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38 comments:
1)Another wave of uncertainty posed for Mourinho?I think this is just another hype created by the media and If Mourinho really loses the title this season,I don't see him leaving Stamfiord just yet.I'm quite sure he wants a shot at gaining back what he lost.Everyone knows retaining titles is hard but getting it back after losing it requires even more effort but at the end of the day,boss Roman will be the deciding factor of whether Mourinho leaves or stay.
2)Guus coached Australia and PSV at the same time last season.Helping PSV to secure the Dutch title and lead Australia to the World Cup through the play-off beating Uruguay and the Roos performed exceptionally well before their adventure was brought to an abrupt end by the Italians via a controversial penalty.Need to say more?His report card had told us he could handle both jobs at the same time so why not with Russia and Chelsea.
3)There is every chance that Guus can overtakes Mourinho's achievements if we are judging on their past records.Both men have conquered their respective domestic league and Europe as well but Guus have the extra edge as he have the experience of coaching national teams which I think will comes in handy especially coaching a Chelsea full of national players.Moreover Guus seems to be a very popular and likeable figure wherever he goes,from the winter sonata S.Korea to the Gold Coast Australia.If Peter Kenyon is looking for a manager who could makes friends and not foes with opposition teams,and at the same time adding a more friendly image on Chelsea brand for marketing purposes.Guus seems to be ideal after all.
1) It's possible that he goes (either he quits or gets sacked), though STRANGELY, I can't imagine life in the EPL without him. Of course I still don't like him, but... it's just weird huh?
2) Yes, like Eric mentioned, Hiddink coached both PSV and Australia at the same time too. But the possibility really depends on the Russian FA too, and whether they would allow him to take on such a big job on the sidelines.
3) Maybe... I did like Hiddink when he was with Australia, though I somehow didn't think the achievements of the team was so much down to him than to the players themselves. He has done well lately with PSV, South Korea and Australia, but admittedly, these are all relatively smaller teams compared to one like Chelsea. Hiddink has the credentials, but it seems like his forte is to polish these rough diamonds, rather than to really succeed at the very top. On this note, he might fancy the challenge here to prove himself, after relative failures at teams like Real Madrid in the past.
1. Mourinho will definitely leave if he fails to win the EPL this season after repeatedly proclaiming that the gap that Man U has is hardly cause for concerned. With his track record, there will be plenty of suitors and this will be added reason for him to pursue another challenge.
2. With today's technology, it will be possible to do that even if one was living faraway from the country of coaching. As Klinsmann has done coaching Germany from his place of residence in California and what Hiddink has done for both Australia and PSV as Eric has mentioned. Fortunately, Chelsea does not have any Russian players on its books if not that would lead to a conflict of interests. But I still think it should be not advisable for Hiddink to be on the payroll of both Russia and Chelsea.
3. That depends on what doing better means. Does winning the Champs League but failing to win the EPL constitute better? Or does winning the FA Cup which Mourinho has never won equal better? There is no hard and fast rule over success. Both are managers which a proven track record. It will probably boil down to how their challengers like Man U and perhaps, Liverpool and Arsenal react to this newest challenger, that is if the move for Hiddink materialises.
cheers,
kel
Hi all,
Well, Hiddink's partly bankrolled by Roman himself, say media reports.
Cheers,
The Postman
1) If Jose Mourinho leaves Chelsea, we will be witnessing another Leeds United or even Nottingham Forest. Chelsea needs Mourinho, not the other way round. Mourinho has the capability to manage a ego-team like Chelsea. Huddink?? I don't think so.
2) He did that before, coaching a country and a club together. But since Abramovich is his boss, he may very well do it again. After all, $$ makes the world go round and that is a reason why he went to manage Russia.
3) No. Huddink still have to adapt to English soccer. And he just do not have the looks to survive the EPL. If Mourinho really does leave Chelsea, I would prefer someone who really can manage well in England. Bolton's Big Sam is a good choice. Just look at where budget Bolton is at the table. Harry Redknapp is another choice. Frank Lampard's uncle have proven himself at Portsmouth in 2006.
It depends on Jose’s ambitions and which direction Chelsea wants to go. Jose is a proud and ambitious man and from past events, we have seen he has no qualms about moving on if he feels he is disrespected or a fresh challenge is needed.
Even if Jose wants to stay on and pursue lost titles, it all depends on Roman himself. If Chelsea feels Jose is not the man to lead Chelsea to the next level, he will be removed. Jose’s body language in recent weeks suggests he may want to move on, given his frosty relationship with Kenyon and Roman.
While Hiddink has simultaneously managed Australia and PSV before, with due respect to PSV, Chelsea is the much bigger club. Managing Chelsea is a huge responsibility and Hiddink would be well advised to focus all his efforts on the Blues rather than divide his attention.
“Super Guus” has the credentials and the necessary experience to take Chelsea into the next level. There is no better candidate, apart from Mourinho, to lead Chelsea to further success.
His non-confrontational style will appease Roman and the Chelsea board and his reputation will win over the respect of players and fans alike.
zcMaybe the root of this conspiracy all started with the connection of Roman enjoys with the Russian FA,plus Guus is a manager with respectable status that ignited this flame of rumours.If it was an relative unknown manager in charge of the national team whos on a payroll by Roman,I don't think the name of Guus will surface here.Now add on to that Guus mentioned he was preparing his assistant coach Alexander Borodjuk as the future head coach of Russia once his reign is over just blown up the issue even more.
If we look at another angle,Roman as the shrewd businessman could have planned all this beforehand.Hiring Guus as the Russia national team coach and at the same time securing a backup manager for Chelsea in case anything goes wrong with Mourinho.Well all these are just ifs for the time being,but in the near future who knows.
Cheers
I really feel Jose's personality has ruffled a few feathers at Chelsea and it's beginning to tell.
While he may be a good manager, Chelsea does not need the controversies that he brings with him if they want to reinvent themselves as the biggest club in the world. That's a lot of baggage for Chelsea to deal with.
It's no secret Jose does not like Kenyon, who sole purpose is to make Chelsea a commercial commodity. The y have clashed over player transfers, with Kenyon wanting big star players but Jose preferring team players.
And Jose did publicly state that if Roman does not want him as manager, he has the millions to sack him out of the job. Such statements would not have endeared him to his owner.
I would certainly not rule out Eric's hypothesis because clearly, something is going on behind the scenes to fuel all these speculation. Roman is not one to be trifled with and Jose may have pushed his luck a bit too far.
Mourinho can't stay on after EPL loss to Manchester United even if he wants to carry on because The Terminator Abramavoich tell him - You're fired.
Guss Hiddink can coach Chelsea and Russia at the same time even though it is difficult compare to easier PSV Endhoven and Australia.
Hiddink can do better than Mourinho especially in the department of motivating players.His uncanny abilities in arousing below average mediocre players to perform beyond expectations with eagle-eyes spotting untried raw talent turn into gems like Park Ji Sung and Lee Young Pyo as shown previously for south Korea in World Cup 2004
From: Chester Low
OFF Topic
Liverpool 1 Arsenal 3
You'll never walk alone with another defeat.
Liverpool continue to lose against Arsenal in Carling Cup Quarter-Finals.
You'll never walk alone with another defeat
From : Chester Low
Guus v Jose
Both have their plus points but Guss has this plus factor that Jose doesn't have - ability to get along with all levels of club personnel and players.
Personally I prefer Jose assist Raddy or take up his place because we need somebody who has the courage to kick buttocks of our local soccer authorities or tell them to wake up their ideas.
From : Chester Low
Hiddink may seem to have better man management style due to the lack of highly publicised problems. But this is when he's dealing with teams with perhaps only 1 or 2 star players in them, ala PSV and Australia or even Korea. Wait till he faces a clashes of ego the size of Ballack and the rest of the superstars. I am not discounting him but i would prefer to reserve my judgment on man management skills after all he rose to prominence only after taking unheralded Korea to the semis of the 2002 WC. And if my memory serves me right, he hasn't done much with the clubs he managed before tt. When Mourinho won the first 2 leagues (where Ranieri failed), everyone acclaimed Mourinho's ability to get on well and generate rapport with all the stars in the team. With Chelsea just 6pts off the pace, people are already questioning his demise. I mean, you do not become a bad manager overnight. Of Course, being a Man U fan, I will love it if he really does loses it. But i respect Mourinho as a personality. For bringing the EPL to another dimension. Without him, the EPL would perhaps not be as entertaining. But i have to accept that Chelsea will probably improve in the 2nd half of the season and show that people are reading too much into coincidences. I think sometimes tabloids in England sensationalise news in order to generate readership.
Cheers,
kel
Side issue: At instances like this, i understand why people used to hate Man U fans (now Chelsea) to the core. I mean, a defeat is a defeat but we should not gloat at them especially since we are not even in the quarters of the Carling Cup.
Respect all teams for their strengths and ignore their weaknesses, for you never know when they might beat you fair and square.
No hard feelings if this ruffles any feathers.
Cheers,
kel
Dear Chester, Liverpool will nail Arsenal 3-0 tonight....just watch and sit on a good chair as you may fall off....
Guus Rethink, Jose moaner...whatever. The Roman God of wealth can try ...The players come and go and the coach likewise. But Chelsea will fall flat with the likes of Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, hopefully who persistently build up teams to fight for the EPL championship. You cannot put a few superstar players and coach together and viola, a good team. Maybe it will last 1 or 2 seasons but not a decade.
Roman should try bringing in Ferguson and let him run the show?
It's just 6 points adrift and there are 16 more matches to play for still. There is no need to crucify the Special One yet. The race will definitely get heated up as the congested fixtures comprising of FA cup, Champion League and league matches kicks in. 2 wins and 2 losses, everything is level again.
I would prefer Mourinho over Hiddink. WIth Mourinho, there's expectation. The Dutch League and the EPL are of different levels. Other than PSV, Hiddink did not really succeed in other Leagues. Mourinho on the other hand has built on his success-laden managerial career at Chelsea over from Porto days. This man delivers his promises most of the time. He might be arrogant but he redefine the standard and requirements to win the league.
Of course, it is the club management not me who's paying Mourinho's wages. They might want to replace the Special One with a more friendly puppet who's ready to listen to them but can he deliver the goods? Hiddink to do better than Mourinho? I don't think so. It hard to win EPL title on the first try. Trying to replicate Mourinho's success will be difficult. It's going to be tough job to whoever is going to replace the Special One. He must be 'Chosen One'!
What we have been discussing was based on the assumption that if Mourinho fails to win the EPL title at the end of this coming May.Lets put it in another way,will he leave if he wins the title?Irritating sometimes but EPL without him will be a place of too much peace with no action isn't it.
This kind of internal political split among players,managers and the rich owners wasn't making its first appearance here and one guy who was involved in such a situation who comes to my mind is Vicente Del Bosque,formerly head coach of Real Madrid.The Galaticos under his guidance enjoyed one of most successful spell in recent history but what did he got a day after winning the Spainish League title in year 2003.He was asked to take a step upstairs and hand over his team management duties with no appearent valid reasons.
Manager is just another employee sweating out for the club who have absolutely no power over their existance in the club.Mourinho could be winning the title for the 3rd time this coming May but that won't stop wielding his axe if Mourinho don't play along with him in this game of Boss Rules & You Don't.If JM proclaimed he is the Special One then Roman no doubt can be the Divine One who decides the fate of Mourinho
Cheers
Oppx.I mean Roman wielding his axe there.heh
If Jose leaves or gets replaced, are there any worthy candidates besides Hiddink?
I do not think Chelsea's big stars will faze Hiddink. If he is able to manage the Dutch national team full of stars in 98, why not Chelsea?
Hiddink has the credentials and experience and while he lacks Jose's charisma, he has shown he is an excellent man-manager. He took the Dutch and Koreans to semi-finals of the World Cup.
He won many domestic honors and the European Cup with PSV in his 2 stints there. He has managed teams, able to compete with the best with minimum resources. It’s a throwback to the Porto team Jose managed and a testament to his pedigree as an excellent manager.
Of course, we do not want to jump the gun yet. It will have to take a special personality to fill Jose's big boots but Hiddink is a worthy mention.
What Jose has done is exceptional and we do not begrudge his accomplishments and stature as one of the best managers in world football. Jose is still the right man to lead Chelsea but Roman may feel otherwise.
off topic:
Liverpool 3 Arsenal 6.
Well, someone had to bring it up huh?
Let me tell you though, it was all a conspiracy... some people don't like Dudek, and that's why the defenders aren't going to help him whenever he plays... Since Dudek was promised all the Cup games, I guess that was his last game for Liverpool already.
Anyway, since some of you have mentioned that Guus has a better man management style, I thought I'd just bring this up. After Hiddink left Australia, Schwarzer actually criticised Hiddink's man-management style. Something about how he has poor man-management skills, and only naming the team shortly before kickoff, thus making players mentally unprepared... It was perhaps largely down to the player being dropped for Kalac in that Croatia game though, so you could call it sour grapes if you want.
The result between the Gunners and the Reds came as a surprise to me.Liverpool who has not lost at home for a long time before the FA Cup tie on saturday has suddenly lost twice in their fort Anfield in a matter of 3 days to Arsenal.
Just when everyone thought the Reds will give a positive response after the FA Cup exit,things become worse as the Beast Baptista decided to leave his trail on the turf of the famous merseyside ground scoring 4 goals in the process.
Its easy to point out Dudek as the main reason for both of the defeats but the Reds surely need some tuning in their defence after this game.No thanks for the injuries to Gonzalez and Garcia.And credits to the young Gunners who gunned down the Reds for the second time in cup competitions where Liverpool is specialise in.
The Beast has woke up from his deep winter hibernation but for how long...
Cheers
Well, I'm not exactly in the mood to talk about it, like after the defeat on Saturday (now's worse actually), I just want to crawl up somewhere and hide, but I guess everyone associated with Liverpool just has to face the cold hard facts for once. It's not a knee-jerk reaction, but really, I thought I was watching some horror movie today morning. I was constantly afraid as to what was going to happen next, and felt like covering my eyes as it was just plain terrifying.
Of course it's not just down to Dudek, and even when everyone else just wants to blame Rafa, I find it hard to point the blame of this horror show to any particular individual. Whatever mistakes we've made in terms of team selection and tactics, I still find it hard to believe in the scoreline. I wouldn't like to blame Dudek (note that it was just a hysterical reaction from me back there), because deep down I still like him, but it's just unbelievable that almost every shot that comes his way ends up in the back of the net. I don't believe he's that bad, but he must have ran over a black cat or something. And right now, more than ever, I guess people are starting to appreciate Reina a bit more.
1. Yes. Surely a manager of his pedigree, he wouldn't run at the first sign of a challenge? And where else can he get as satisfying a pay check?
2. No, I don't think he can manage both efficiently. While I rate Hiddink as a coach, I think he's not able to do both at once. And certainly he wouldn't be leaving Russia to join Chelsea.
3. No. Jose is in my opinion the best coach there is, and he's a proven success. Hiddink isn't. How many trophies have Hiddink won in the highest club level? None.
Now that I checked his records, it turns out he won the European Cup once. My mistake there. But Jose won the Champions League too.
Also, PSV in the Dutch league is basically a big fish in a small pond. Records showed they won the Dutch league 19 times. Says a lot really.
Off-topic: Its a shock to see Liverpool humiliated at Anfield. Twice in fact.
TBH, I did not really expect Liverpool to beat Arsenal in either clash. But I certainly did not think it will be a no contest either. Looking at the shots on target, it was 7, and 6 goals. Makes you wonder if Liverpool would do better with another player on field rather than in goal. Of course I did not watch the match, but just when you think a 4-1 loss was bad enough..
Um no offense to Liverpool fans, I certainly did not mean any, just my view on the result.
haha, anonymous, you actually made me smile, so don't worry about offending any Liverpool fans. You know what, somehow I think you may be right, in that an outfield player could have been more useful than a goalkeeper in that match. I haven't look at the stats, but I don't seem to remember Dudek saving anything, except for one punch (actually he sort of flapped at it). It was just plain incredulous how everything just went past him like that, it was like he wasn't even there (And Blatter once suggested making the goal even bigger?!). But then again, having another outfield player could also have increased the chances of someone screwing up a pass or something...
Oh well! I'll still give Arsenal the credit, as they've made scoring at Anfield look so easy, when it isn't.
7 shots 6 goals 1 missed penalty 2 major injuries. That sums up Liverpool's poor showing last night. Could have been a lot worse. Credits to Arsenal for playing a counter-attacking game to near perfection.
Yet there is no such thing as the perfect manager. Mourinho's achievement has acted as a double-edged sword for him this season. The media are always ready plunge with their sharpened knives if Chelsea is to slip further. I mean this was the guy that the raise the bar for winning the league to 90pts. Even if Mourinho failed to win anything, I don't think he will be sack. The chances of him leaving the club out of own will is higher than him getting the boot! I don't think any manager will want to be his replacement unless of course for the money! He is not easy to replace. Look at where Porto is now. No longer the same force after the Mourinho's era.
I don't think the Special One needs to worry about his job security. He will definitely have no lack of suitors who are more than interested to hire him if he left Chelsea. He will be more concerned with the defensive frailties that is plaguing the team at the moment and to close the gap on the Red Devils. Of course, nothing the media says influences him. He's at Chelsea to win trophies and not to make friends.
I fell off my chair seeing 6 goals yesterday and 3 goals in the FA cup all against Arsenal at Anfield. What a way to start 2007 just when you thought Liverpool seems to be improving and more consistent!
What kind of manager will expose his reserves without the running them through some earlier EPL matches? What kind of manager will put a goalkeeper who did not appear almost the whole EPL season? This 3 games show Liverpool lack of depth in the squad. If Gerrard gets injured, what will happen? Man U will knock 20 goals past them!!
The EPL season is coming to a crucial stage and Chelsea is far from being vanquished! Not getting the EPL championship, you sack the manager? The Roman God will not be able to find a manager that can produce 2 EPL championships in a row! If Jose goes, it is because he wants to! If Roman sacks him just because he looses one EPL championship, he does not deserve anybody's respect.
I think Hiddink will find it hard to repeat Jose's record in 2 seasons. He is not a soccer magician.
Mourinho is definitely more proven as a manager having won the league titles for 4 years, both with Porto and then Chelsea. Also, credit must be given to Mourinho for building a strong defence, especially at home for both his former club and present. I am not discounting Hiddink's achievement but S.Korea's surprising showing was partly to a refereeing farce and fanatical home support. While PSV was already the dominant team with ajax in transition when he took them to the league title. Australia already had a good team when he took over and he should have qualified from that group, being superior to the Japanese. But i dare say they were lucky when Kewell scored a debatable goal. The best thing should probably therefore be his unheralded PSV falling to Ac Milan at the semi final stage after moving further than expected. It was only because of these achievements in recent years that brought him mention. Before, he was just another continental coach trying to make a name for himself.
I think he needs to win more trophies to be considered in the same breath as Mourinho because people only remember winners. Who will remember his 'achievements' in say, 10 yrs down the road? Perhaps only the fanatical koreans.
Cheers,
kel
1) I don’t see Mourinho leaving Chelsea at the end of this season. If he loses out to Man Utd in the title race and/or Champions League, this will infuriate him even further and he will want to stay on to prove a point - that he is ultimately the EPL's so-called "Special One". That he's blamed for Chelsea's slump will only add fire to this. Mourinho, as we all know, is an achiever and not a quitter. He'll only leave once he's brought Chelsea the ultimate trophy - the Club World Cup, otherwise he may feel a sense of emptiness and failure.
2) Hiddink can coach both Chelsea and Russia together. He's done it before (Australia and PSV). With Chelsea's owner, Abramovich being Russian, this is probably bound to happen.
3) No, Hiddink can't do better than Mourinho. He must adapt to the fast-paced, attacking English game if he is to coach Chelsea successfully. Despite his glittering resume, I don't think Hiddink has that ability. He appears to be a very mellow, gentle person who would probably not fit in with the "pizza-throwing" warfare of the aggressive EPL.
1. I think that JM will still be arround no matter what happen this season. Any rifts on the chelsea camp were taken out of proportion especially by the media.
2. Hiddink had managed to coach a club team and a national side before and i think is very plausible.
3. Hiddink is very good in turning underdogs into oveachievers. But Chelsea is not an underdog team. He had problem before in a team loaded with superstars. See Real Madrid.
Real has seen 6 coaches since July 2003 with Fabio Capello, a proven coach still struggling in La Liga. So, change of coaches is not the right thing even if you have lots of money. I think Abramavoich is shrewd enough not too upset things now
1. I think his ultimate aim is the Champs League. & even if he wins that, he might still stay on at Chelsea for another few years. What matters to Mourinho is whether there is a challenge in staying & what he wants to accomplish. Roman could sack him but it is only his and Chelsea’s loss.
2. No. Feats like this can’t be repeated. Gus may have coached PSV and Australia to successful campaigns. However, this is the EPL (which is a tough and fast-paced league). Also, as a Chelsea fan, I rather Mourinho to stay & even if he is to replaced, it should be someone who is committed to Chelsea.
3. Without Mourinho, Chelsea with all the Roman riches could not have come thus far... winning EPL in his first 2 seasons & gel the group of megastars into this strong team today. If Gus comes, he will be taking over a very good foundation & the credit for whatever he achieved will never be fully his. He is more likely to pale in comparison with Mourinho in terms of style and discipline.
1)I think Jose would quit if he loses the EPL to Manu & go trophiless this season. Although Jose is a good manager, little has gone right for him this season because of the injuries which Cech & Terry has suffered. 2)Although Guus is a good coach, I dont think he has what it takes to coach both Chelsea & Russia. However, if Guus quits Russia &concentrates on Chelsea, they might be an invincible team. 3)I wouldn't use the words "do better". Why? Because Jose was faced with many injuries. If Guus takes over, Cech & Terry might be back from their injuries & Guus would have a strengthened Chelsea side.
After recent reports about Jose's comment which states that he wants some transfer dealings to happen but the club does not allow him, I'm willing to concede the possibility that Jose could leave Chelsea. You don't distance yourself from the club board unless there is a breakdown in the relationship between both of them. Peter Kenyon I'm gonna kick you in your ass for this.. I know you're responsible.
I'm feeling a little down in the dumps right now. But the neutrals and other fans must be rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of Jose leaving. Things keep getting worse and worse by the day..
1)yes, as in the last 2 seasons he's been in charged of, he has been winning only two major trophies, the two premierships. he hasn't been doing well in champs league though, unless he wins it this season or he goes.
2)i'll say why not, last year, he coached psv and australia together. not only he won the dutch title but he got 'underdogs' australia to the play-offs and was eventually defeat by champs italy by only a 1-0 scoreline. but that only doesn't shows anything, it may be luck too.
3)i would hope if guus overtake mourinho as jose's mouth and mind games wouldn't stop! but truth is, i would take mourinho to do better, as guus must prove himself that he's able to do it by doing well with psv this season!
champs league is sure one important title but if i were mourinho, i would focus on the premiership instead of champs league. he'll be the first chelsea manager to win the premiership hat-trick. champs league could wait, if you win the premiership, you do not need to play qualifying rounds. as for guus, he'll need to build up a better reputation to coach chelsea, but that decision still lies in the hand of roman! guus should try coaching one of the premiership clubs to build his reputation as the epl is one of the most watched league in the world. doing good with a club helps in building his reputation.
1. I, Qyaerus-Syahrein, believes Jose Mourinho will stay.
2. Guus Hiddink CANNOT coach Russia and Chelsea at the same time!
3. Hiddink do better than Mourinho. Let me think...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
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