London: Guus Hiddink believes Chelsea's 3-0 victory at Crystal Palace proves his players have started to heed his demands to put in the hard work needed to restore their tarnished reputation.
After a pair of draws in his opening two matches since taking over as Chelsea interim manager, Hiddink at last secured his first win thanks to goals from Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa at rain-lashed Selhurst Park on Sunday.
The confident and composed way Chelsea subdued a tricky opponent in difficult conditions was a rare highlight in a torrid season for the troubled Premier League champions, who moved six points clear of the relegation zone after their biggest league win of the campaign.
Hiddink faced a difficult task when he arrived at Stamford Bridge last month as a short-term replacement for the sacked Jose Mourinho.
Confidence was low among a squad who had grown so unhappy with Mourinho that they were no longer putting in the effort required to maintain their position as one of the league's superpowers.
But the upbeat Hiddink has quickly won over his players, his presence helping revive their appetite for the game and convince them to raise their work rate.
The result was clear to see as Chelsea brushed aside a Palace team that defeated them earlier this season to extend their unbeaten run to four matches since Mourinho departed.
"We've started working and if the team is not doing well through a long period then you have to look for security, and that's why we emphasised on good, hard work, tactically and a defensive way," Hiddink said.
"We don't need to add a lot of quality of players: they are blessed by nature with big quality.
"But they have to know when things aren't going as wished that we have to look for causes, and that's why we started working.
"The very talented players, they start working also, to invest in the dirty work and not just the beautiful game they can play, because this league is very demanding.
"And if you think you can do it just on your quality, what's more given by talent than nature, then this league will kill you."
AFP
