Hiddink lucky to have Essien back with a bang

TURIN was a blast, or so I’m told, confined as I was to my hotel room for the three days due to illness.

It may not have been the best trip in terms of sight-seeing, conversing with the locals and general silliness, but the result is all that mattered.

We had a horrible start to the game and it took us half an hour to find our rhythm. From there on it was a good game and we played well. Not that you would have known that had you based your opinion on the following day’s English papers. If ever you needed proof journalists write 80% of the copy in the first third of the game, then this was it.

The Italian press, on the other hand praised us, and acknowledged that we had adapted well in the face of a tricky game and did not give up at any point. It wasn’t pretty at times, but then Chelsea in Europe seldom are — no matter who the manager is or who we are playing.

Last Sunday saw a 1-0 demolition of Man City that was so comprehensive, our failure to score a hatful is a mystery.

A number of things crossed my mind as I watched City struggle — how could anyone have ever thought that Shaun Wright Phillips was worth anything near e20m, is there a bigger one season wonder than Micah Richards and how can a team managed by Mark Hughes lack even an inkling of his desire, passion and determination.

City are certainly not a side created in his image, although judging by his demeanour in his post-match interview the spark that gave him his nickname has long since departed. He is a man already resigned to his fate it seems.

I’d also underestimated how much we had missed Essien. But watching him power up and down the pitch — getting involved in everything, muscling in on balls, tracking back, finding space and of course scoring goals — you can’t help but wonder what might have been.

Mikel, who was very good in Turin, should be credited with performing well in the midfield role, in terms of defensive duties and holding the ball up. The difference emerges when you put the two of them in a goal scoring position. You know that Essien will worry the keeper, whereas Mikel will send anyone sitting within the vicinity of the corner flag running for cover.

Goose is a lucky man indeed to have the Bison’s return to fitness coincide with his tenure at the helm, and I imagine Scolari ruefully looked at this display and bemoaned his bad luck. But the difference in the two managers cannot be broken down to just this one return.

Hiddink is successfully employing Scolari’s tactics — even playing Anelka on the wing, but instead of looking confused and ill at ease, the team have rediscovered the slick passing that was so evident under Mourinho.

The much referenced squad fitness is also back to where it should be, and for that failing alone, Scolari should have been given the bullet. It is still, I think, too early to tell whether Guus is the man for the long term (if available), or whether this is a prolonged spell of beginner’s luck. But at the moment he is a force to be contended with, and as such, Chelsea too return to that status, which is as much as we can hope for in the circumstances.

The most frustrating thing about watching the United-Liverpool game (apart from Liverpool’s win) was the confirmation of my belief that if you really go at United, they are not the force so many claim.

Most Premier League teams have faced them already beaten and I, for one, am sick of hearing “there is no shame to losing to United.” There is when you put up no resistance whatsoever, and I of course include Chelsea in that: our shameful performance up there was one of the most gutless I have seen for a very long time. I imagine Roy Hodgson has already scripted his gallant loser’s speech in preparation for this weekend, so unless the attitude of the also-rans changes quick smart, the title race is as much over now as it was prior to last weekend’s results.

And even if that were not the case, we have to keep winning. We predictably face Tottenham just as they seem to be finally pulling themselves away from the drop zone and have begun stringing some wins together. Goose can win himself extra brownie points with the Chelsea faithful by putting Spurs to the sword convincingly.

I don’t like travelling to this part of London at the best of times, but a win next weekend would be more than adequate compensation.