HATCHET MAN: Disappointing Deco's days are numbered at Chelsea

Once Deco has stopped using injuries as an excuse, the Chelsea playmaker insists he will 'show the real Deco' for the rest of the season. It is a campaign which the Portuguese claims nobody can judge him on until it has finished, but if he is hoping for an upturn in fortunes he can forget it. For the high jump: Deco could be heading for the Chelsea exit doorDeco's £8 million move to Stamford Bridge has been a failure and Barcelona's  crowing about the price when the deal was done has made more sense with every  week which has passed.   More from Hatchet Man. HATCHET MAN: Taylor made for Newcastle with his latest words of wisdom at the loony Toon09/03/09 HATCHET MAN: Thinking big isn't helping Boro as Huth blunders about at the back09/03/09 HATCHET MAN: Zlatan should let his feet do the talking but Manchester United can teach him a lesson09/03/09 HATCHET MAN: Using aggression to hide his limited ability will see Cattermole found out in the end - but not if Wigan boss Bruce reins him in06/03/09 HATCHET MAN: So much for football's role models! Ashley Cole's latest scrape proves that the Chelsea chump will never learn06/03/09 HATCHET MAN: The real challenge, Arsene, is to produce better tacklers not your netball-loving French fancies06/03/09 HATCHET MAN: United's busy body Rio still has a lot of growing up to do06/03/09 HATCHET MAN: Redknapp should know that Lennon won't be an England player until he learns how to pass the ball properly05/03/09 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE Apart from a few cameo moments of brilliance, the skill and creativity he is  capable of has remained hidden. Deco still looks like the overweight, badly  conditioned player that Luiz Felipe Scolari bought. Now Guus Hiddink is in charge and Michael Essien is almost back to full fitness, his days at Chelsea must be numbered. The Dutchman has brought a return to the style employed by Jose Mourinho (forget the entertainment, feel the wins) in which Deco will undoubtedly find it hard to establish a role. And with power play comes the powerhouse - Essien. The Bison gives Chelsea so  much more than Deco even if his play is not as pretty, and he is likely to be part of a midfield most would not want to argue with. Creativity will have its place, but a floating No 10 will not. Hiddink wants his strikers to be his first line of defence and the erratic, injury-prone but  once impressive Deco is out of place and out of time. VIDEO SPECIAL: Finishing school - Sportsmail celebrates 10 super strikesCoventry 0 Chelsea 2: Silence is golden for deadly DidierHow the Premier League's Euro opponents fared this weekendMourinho hits out at 'embarrassing' Chelsea as United run away with the titleCHELSEA FC NEWS FROM ACROSS THE NET   

Source: Daily_Mail