Guus Hiddink: Not The Tactical Genius We Took Him For?
By: Rob | May 6th, 2009
As you probably saw today, Barcelona are through to the final of the Champions League after a 1-1 draw against Chelsea put them through on away goals. Chelsea will look to the some of the refereeing, but perhaps the person they should be most closely looking at in the defeat is temporary coach, and supposed tactical genius, Guus Hiddink.
Alright, you don’t need to remind me of his stellar record, especially in international football where he can get smaller teams a long way in competitions, where seemingly they have little right. But over the two legs against Chelsea, I think he got it badly wrong.
First off, by going so defensive in the first leg, and not looking to score an away goal, he surely – surely, invited this kind of thing to happen. He knew that by getting that 0-0, Chelsea needed to beat Barcelona, a side that has scored approx. 1,476 goals this season, outright.
And they nearly did. But its going to be pretty tricky to hold off that front line for 180 minutes, and not concede somewhere along the line. Indeed, Bojan should have sealed the game in the first leg, and Barca could have easily been given a penalty in that game too.
Chelsea attacked more in this second leg – as they had to – but there were still some odd tactical choices. Against a ten-men side for example, he brings off his solitary striker (Anelka was on the pitch still, but he was out wide) Drogba off and bought on Beletti, a defender-come-defensive midfielder. This is surely asking for Barca to attack and come get the one goal they needed?
On a side-note, as dodgy as the referee’s game was, I don’t think Chelsea can blame that either. Guus Hiddink has suggested that some influential people might not have wanted a all-English final again, but this stupid stuff has to stop. There is no UEFA conspiracy. Why wouldn’t the Henry penalty been given last week? Why would Abidal have been sent off? Come off it. Its just paranoid madness.
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Comments
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i disagree, he’s every bit the tactical genius that he is portrayed in the media ( this coming from someone who was going for barca ). He came up with the best option available. As much as it pisses people off, as much as it pissed me off, parking the bus was the best option.
Man U did it last year ( somewhat ) and were successful. If Drogba took his chances better, chelsea would be through.
P.S. recently, Hiddink has done well in all the competitions he has been a part of, but hasn’t won them.
Posted from
United States
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Hiddink did everything which was in the book and something which countless teams have done. Believe it or not he had Pep and his Barca buy their balls till that 92nd minute strike.
Credit to Potato.
Posted from
United States -
Surely this is a joke? Rob, I’m usually with you but you’ve lost all credibility with this one.
We lost to a 94th-minute goal after dominating a second leg and Hiddink got it wrong? Please.
Posted from
United States -
parking the bus was definitely the best option. taking drogba off for beletti and not going for the jugular when barca was down to 10 men was definitely not the best option. i would easily take guus hiddink over most managers any day though.
Posted from
Poland -
Hiddink basically took the same gamble that SAF did last year. ManU was able to pull it off against last year’s Barca, Chelsea came THIS close to doing it this year.
Though I agree, the Belleti substitution is a bit iffy..
Posted from
United States -
Jack – It was a last minute goal, but I think Hiddink invited it a little. Look I’m not saying he’s an idiot, or that Chelsea shouldn’t be dissapointed, and I understand you’re upset at the moment, but I do think the mistakes I outlined were striking.
Although you’re all right, if Drogba had hit the target at some point over the tie Chelsea would have gone through. But then if Bojan had scored that sitter in the first leg it’d be completely different too.
Posted from
United States -
the idea at the second half was simple, barce is down to 10 men and need to attack. So you bring on anelka to wait for a counter attack goal. The unfortunate thing was barce got given a burst of luck up the arse by 1000 cocks being masturbated at the same time.
Posted from
United States -
He is the tactical genius we know him to be; his tactics just weren’t good enough this time. That’s football for you.
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United States -
To the person who said chelsea dominated the second match must of been watching a different game to the rest of us .
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United States -
That person is jack prat.You got what deserved, if drogba did not spend half his footballing life diving all over the field maybe one day the ref might beieve him.Least the final should e a good game to watch , chelsea are so boring , just a bunch of physical giants.
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United States -
I don’t think this is on Hiddink.
Watch the match again. Barça are such quality that they know they can score, not quite at will, but you get the drift.
Watch how they squeeze down when the time is right (94th minute, not bad) … then Iniesta goes into the box … suddenly Alves is clear for a cross or Messi does a number on Ashely Cole and the ball is heading into a Chelsea box with 7 Barça’s in there. It’s called “overdrive” — and they know, collectively, when it’s on.
Class, pure bloody CLASS! I’m not even a Chelsea-hater and am euphoric for myself, my family, my ancestors … and for football.
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United States -
Great Guus is a genius. He knew he couldn’t beat Barcelona in an open game so he devised a game plan to shut them down. Don’t forget that Barcelona scored on their first shot on goal despite their great flair and technical ability. Chelsea was clearly robbed by UEFA and Platini who hates all things English. Too bad a great former player turned out to be a very small minded bigoted man. There’s no question in my mind that Platini’s public comments that he’d like to see Barcelona in the finals were in the head of the referee. In addition to his intense dislike of EPL, Platini didn’t want to see all English final because the ratings in the Spanish speaking world wouldn’t be the same. I love Barcelona’s immense talent and I hate when politicians, and Platini is clearly one of them, mix football with politics. Dark day for football. Go Man U !!!
Posted from
United States
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