Chelsea vs. Watford: Key Comments from Guus Hiddink's First Presser Since Return

New Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink had high praise for his predecessor Jose Mourinho in his first press conference since taking over for a second time at Stamford Bridge, hailing the Portuguese's record as "amazing."

The Dutchman was placed in charge of the Blues after Mourinho was sacked last week and addressed the assembled media on Wednesday ahead of their Boxing Day clash with Watford.

Naturally, talk did turn to the sacked former boss and Hiddink had high praise for the work he had done at the club, per Matt Lewis of getwestlondon:

"

Yeah of course I have sympathy, If you look at his record over the years, it’s amazing. Which titles he won, I don’t know by heart how many, but there were many, so much respect.

But things happen in football like they happened here and people make decisions which they must take, and I go on as I am asked. 

"

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Prior to Mourinho’s departure, the Portuguese was adamant that a Champions League spot was out of reach for Chelsea, who are 15th in the table at Christmas. But Hiddink, while admitting it would be difficult, still thinks it is doable, per Bleacher Report’s Garry Hayes:

Hiddink stated that while the circumstances of his appointment are far from ideal, he’s glad to be back at the club again, the Chelsea Twitter feed:

The players have been on the end of a lot of criticism since Mourinho was ushered out of Stamford Bridge.

Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa were the main target of the fans’ ire during the last home game against Sunderland, with many supporters clearly feeling as though they didn’t pull their weight sufficiently for their former manager.

Hiddink confirmed he had spoken with the players and encouraged them to be critical of their performance levels, per Alex Richards of the Daily Mirror:

"

Yesterday I talked fully to the squad. I told them, things happen in football and I want them to look in the mirror, not just two seconds but longer, and see how they can contribute on the way up. I told them as professionals to look in the mirror and be ultra-critical. …

There must be desire to play. If you don’t have it, knock on my door and we’ll talk...briefly.

"

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Chelsea legend Didier Drogba will be part of Hiddink’s coaching staff during his stint, and the Dutchman revealed the admiration he has for the former striker:

Although the Chelsea fans have fond memories of Hiddink’s previous spell, when he guided the team to the FA Cup in 2009, his star has faded since.

Indeed, he’s had tough times as the manager of Turkey, Anzhi Makhachkala and most recently the Netherlands, failing to steer the Oranje to next summer’s European Champions despite the tournament being expanded from 16 to 24 teams.

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Hiddink conceded he’s probably a little lucky to have been handed this job, all things considered. “Theoretically I shouldn’t be here, it’s true,” he said, per Richards. ”Part of the business...there’s no one coach in the world who hasn’t been sacked. What can I say...everyone has an experience.”

The Dutchman also ran the rule over the opposition for his first game back in charge of the club, high-flying Watford.

“Very disciplined, very strong strikers,” he said of the Hornets, who are seventh in the Premier League, per Richards. “Ighalo and Deeney are very dangerous, not just once or twice but frequently. We have to go into a sequence of good results.”

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The new boss also had some positive injury news for the Blues, confirming that PFA Player of the Year Eden Hazard has been back in training:

Hiddink is an experienced coach and a steady hand, but with games coming thick and fast over the festive period, it’ll be tough for him to fully impinge his philosophies on these toiling players.

Still, it will be intriguing to see how Chelsea shape up against the Hornets, who have been organised, committed and dynamic throughout this season.

As much as the Dutchman has been revered since taking over for the stellar work done in his last spell with the Blues, there will be a degree of pressure on him.

Hiddink has struggled in every role he’s taken on since leaving Stamford Bridge six years ago and will be keen to show he’s still got what’s required to manage at the top level by salvaging the Blues’ campaign.