Addict Guus sets Chelsea out to derail Fergie's runaway title express

03 March 2009 02:27
Guus Hiddink describes it as an addiction, readily admitting that he is hooked on the idea of challenging Manchester United's supremacy at home and abroad. Football's wonder-drug is winning trophies, a habit that Hiddink has become accustomed to throughout his colourful coaching career, supplying PSV Eindhoven with six league titles and the European Cup in two separate spells. With Chelsea he has left it late, parachuted into the Barclays Premier League when United had already played 24 games. Now that they have played 26, Sir Alex Ferguson's side are seven points clear, with a game in hand. Surely it is Mission: Impossible, with United threatening to trample all over the opposition in the coming weeks as they close in their third successive Premier League title and gear up for a defence of the European Cup and a shot at the FA Cup to sit alongside the Carling Cup and the Club World Cup. 'It's an addiction I am addicted as it is with many people in England,' admitted Hiddink as he completed preparations for tonight's Premier League clash at Portsmouth. 'I can empathise with Sir Alex because he tried to pack it in a few years ago, having a cup of coffee at 10 o'clock in the morning and looking out of the window to see if it was raining or whether the sun was shining. Then the thought of it bored him. Hey, this is football. It's in his body and when you manage to do what he's done over the years, having always managed a competitive squad, there's a lot of respect for him.' Although Hiddink would love to have a full season against Ferguson, he insists he will leave Chelsea fans wanting more ignoring the financial support of club owner Roman Abramovich as he heads back to Russia in the summer. Instead, he has just 11 games left to derail the United express, catching Ferguson's team in the Premier League or shunting them off course in the Champions League and FA Cup. 'I'm not naive but as long as there is a possibility we can win the Premier League then you never know,' added the Dutchman.' 'Realistically, it will be difficult. I like teams who do not give up, I like the way we reacted against Wigan after conceding a goal and won 2-1. We have to fight for as long as possible. We have the ambition to be there at the end of May, when the important games come up so we have to stop them. They can be classical clashes between two powerhouses but let's take a few steps first.' Inspirational: Ferguson poses with the 41st trophy of his glittering career Give English football more of this, Guus, the confidence that someone can emerge from this pack and challenge United's dominance. Someone has to. It won't be Liverpool, finished for another season after a 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough. It will not be Arsenal, out of the title race when they were knocked off top spot following a 2-1 defeat against Hull in September. Chelsea have the ammunition, an English heartbeat which You-Know-Who relied on when they won titles back-to-back and added the FA Cup by beating United in 2007. Hiddink has identified an imbalance between the two clubs, with one planning for short-term success guess which? and the other adopting a model that will leave a legacy long after Ferguson leaves Old Trafford.

Source: Daily_Mail