Guus Hiddink is “absolutely perfect” to temporarily serve as Chelsea’s saviour following Jose Mourinho’s sacking, former Blues assistant boss Ray Wilkins said on Friday.
The 69-year-old Dutchman has emerged as a leading contender to take over the ailing Premier League champions on an interim basis.
Hiddink played a similar role in 2009, appointed after the dismissal of Luiz Felipe Scolari and delivering Chelsea to FA Cup glory.
“As an interim manager, he would love the challenge, I’m sure,” Wilkins, whose most recent stint with Chelsea’s backroom team ended in 2010, told talkSPORT.
“He would be the one person I would say would be absolutely perfect to come in to the end of the season and straighten them out.”
Mourinho’s bitter-sweet second spell at Chelsea ended Thursday “by mutual consent” with the club’s technical director Michael Emenalo revealing that squad disharmony was a significant factor.
Chelsea’s disastrous start to the season prompted owner Roman Abramovich end the deal, with the club saying it was “in the best interests of both parties to go our separate ways”.
Nine defeats in 16 games saw the reigning Premier League titleholders slither to within a point of the relegation zone. Emenalo said Chelsea had had to act.
Wilkins feels the struggling squad must take their share of responsibility.
“I love Jose and he’s done a fantastic job for Chelsea,” the former England midfielder said. “He’ll go elsewhere and do a wonderful job for someone.
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