WATFORD โ Guus Hiddink was happy enough with Chelseaโs display followingย their 0-0 draw at Watford on Wednesday as the interim head coach is now eight games unbeaten since taking over in December.
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That said, Chelsea have continued to lose ground on the top six and a midtable finish now seems extremely likely despite an upturn in results and performances.
Watford were the happier side to grab a point as a second half onslaught saw Watfordโs goalkeeper Huerelho Gomes excel to deny Branislav Ivanovic and Diego Costa.
Speaking to the press after the game at Vicarage Road a cool, calm Hiddink was asked about a major flash-point just before half time which saw Costa and Juan Carlos Paredes both booked following the latter falling to the ground clutching his face and a meleeย threatened to break out in front of the dugout.
For once, Coata seemed to be the victim. Hiddink agreed wholeheartedly.
โIt was very clear because it was very close. It was just 10-yards from our bench. [Juan] Paredes punched Diego in his back and after that they stumbled and then Paredes brought his hands to his head and Diego was nowhere near his head,โ Hiddink said. โThey stumbled. I think this is something we must not do. It is provocation to get someone off the pitch. Happily the referee and also the assistant referee saw it and didnโt go into this provocation. It was a pity it happened. There was no way Diego was close to his face.โ
Asked if he was annoyed by Costa constantly being targeted by opposition defenders, Hiddink gave the following response.
โThis is a manโs game. Our central defenders, their central defenders, other clubโs central defenders, they are big guys and they go on the edge and sometimes over the edge. Thatโs what itโs like when it is a manโs game but it must not be going the way of provocations. Thatโs what me must not do.โ
ProSoccerTalk then asked the Dutchman about howย difficult he rates the task of guiding Chelseaย into the top six.
Hiddink singled out a journalist in the press conference who had published an article stating that the Blues needed to win all of their remaining 15 games, before the draw at Watford, to have any chance of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.
โIf you want to get in the top four then happily I have my assistant here who can calculate very well and you need three points to getย there. Now we need 3.1 points, on average, to get there. It was 2.7 to get to fourth I think, and now we have to get to 3.1 to get into fourth place which is very difficult,โย Hiddink said. โOnce more I think how the team performed especially in the last part of the second half, we have to go on that part.โ
If it wasnโt for two superb saves from one of Hiddinkโs former players, Watfordโs goalkeeper Gomes, late in the second half then the Blues would have grabbed a win which wouldโve sent them to within one victory of the top eight. Itโs not all doom and gloom and there are signs the attacking unit is returning to its best but Hiddink knows dreams of a top four, or even a top six finish, remain just that. A dream.
10 points off sixth-placed West Ham with 14 games to go,ย Chelsea canโt afford to drop many more points if they want to salvage anything from this, so far, bitterly disappointing season.ย
Next up: Manchester United at home on Sunday (Watch live, 11 a.m. ET on NBCSN and online via Live Extra), which Hiddink hopes will be a โspectacleโ between โtwo giantsโ of the Premier League.
