Guus's men vow to sort out Barca pretty boys at Stamford Bridge

06 May 2009 01:33
Guus Hiddink spoke of a sporting philosophy, a worldwide brand and a style of play that has earned the respect of the football world. It is safe to say he was not talking about Chelsea.[LNB]There is a lingering resentment among Barcelona's players over the way Chelsea approached the first leg of their Champions League semi-final in the Nou Camp last week and a feeling Hiddink will go the same way, even though they are on their own turf this evening having come back with a 0-0 draw.[LNB]Chelsea's interim coach makes no apology for their conduct last week, for the tackle by Michael Ballack on Andres Iniesta that could easily have been a red card or for the challenges by Jose Bosingwa, filling in at left back against the world's best player in Lionel Messi.[LNB] Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink is in upbeat mood ahead of his side's crunch Champions League clash against Barcelona on Wednesday[LNB]'Barcelona are respected worldwide for their brand, their strategy and their philosophy,' admitted Hiddink, as he prepared for this evening's second leg. 'They have built the club over a long period of time with a style of playing, whoever their manager is. This is a team who, almost without exception, score every time they play.[LNB]'They got frustrated because they are used to scoring every week and they made some "hot" comments, but that is only human. We have the right to compete. I have seen the supposed toughness of our team, but if you see some of the challenges that were made when Barcelona beat Real Madrid at the weekend they were the same. It is a man's game. They shouldn't try to create things that are not a reality.'[LNB]It was strong stuff from Chelsea's manager, making sure that Pep Guardiola and the pretty boys in Barcelona's team are prepared for another bruising game at Stamford Bridge.[LNB] Didier Drogba and his team-mates konw that victory on at Stamford Bridge will set up a rematch of last year's final[LNB]Hiddink senses that this team are on to something special, playing a fifth Champions League semi-final in six years and on the verge of reaching a second successive final.[LNB]He is astute enough to know that Chelsea would have been ripped apart had they opened up in Spain last Tuesday but he is promising a more expansive game this evening. He is nevertheless mindful of conceding an away goal against a team who beat Real Madrid 6-2 in the Bernabeu on Saturday evening, an awesome attacking performance from their feared forward line of Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o.[LNB]'As a lover of football and the way it can be played, I enjoyed their performance,' admitted Hiddink. 'Barcelona are a hot team in Europe and they punish the slightest error. Having scored six at the weekend it will give them a tremendous boost.[LNB]Barcelona are fresh from a record-breaking win at Real Madrid and know they must score at Stamford Bridge to get through to the final[LNB]'Tactically we did very well over there but there were periods of the game where I would like to have shown more initiative. We have to show a little bit more when we are on the ball.'[LNB]Barcelona's complaints, a consistent theme over the past eight days, have raised the stakes ahead of the second leg, riling Chelsea's players as countdown begins to this clash of cultures. Didier Drogba appeared irritated yesterday.[LNB]He said: 'They have complained, sure, but they are just trying to put a bit of pressure on the referee before the second leg. We have to score goals to win the tie and, although they have Messi, Henry, Eto'o and Iniesta, we've got more potential match-winners in the team. Our defenders and midfielders can also score.'[LNB]To progress, Hiddink will rely on his big-game players - the likes of Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Frank Lampard, Ballack and Michael Essien.[LNB] Chelsea will be spurred on to get some revenge on Manchester United in this year's final[LNB]Their strategy is unlikely to be high risk- they know no other way after spending just over three seasons under Jose Mourinho, but they remain a powerful attacking unit, capable of scoring goals of the highest quality.[LNB]'They have shown they have a lot of desire,' said Hiddink. 'It's respectable that Chelsea have made it to five semi-finals and it's a sign of a club with big ambitions. It's another chance to get to be where they want to be.'[LNB]That mission is the final in Rome and Hiddink makes no apology for the way they intend to get there. MARTIN SAMUEL: What Hiddink can learn from the principles of the playground and PokemonRuud Gullit's Team Talk: Barca's negative reaction is positive for ChelseaNo moaning if we go out against Chelsea, says Barcelona boss Guardiola Hiddink wants 'intelligence and emotion' from his Chelsea side on eve of crunch Barca clashDrogba insists Chelsea have got the better of Barca up front ahead of Stamford Bridge tieBarca coach claims that Chelsea will be overcome by 'a footballing orgasm'CHELSEA FC

Source: Daily_Mail