Chelsea Rumors: John Obi Mikel hopes Guus Hiddink stays with club

John Obi Mikel, who has experienced a career resurgence under Guus Hiddink, is hoping the interim manager stays on at Chelsea.

It’s no secret that Chelsea are playing much more confident with Guus Hiddink as their manager as opposed to Jose Mourinho. Since his appointment in December, they’ve only lost once in all competitions and recently came off a throttling of Manchester City in the FA Cup. And even though Diego Simeone has been linked to the club as a potential managerial hire, one of the players who has rediscovered his form under Hiddink, John Obi Mikel, is adamant that he and the rest of the club (as per The Telegraph) want him to stay beyond the end of this season:

"If you speak to the players, 98 or 99 per cent of them want Guus to stay so I mean, we are very happy, we are performing well and let’s hope this continues. Obviously, definitely, I want him to stay. It is the choice of the owner, the club and the board. They will have to decide.If the club want to appoint him, fair enough. His record speaks for itself. Let’s hope he stays."

Mikel, who isn’t exactly a prolific goalscorer – he has six in his time at Chelsea – got a crucial away goal for his team against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Because of his efforts, all Chelsea are required to do to progress is win 1-0 at home. He also hasn’t been afraid to speak his mind regarding his managers, when he said that the reason Mourinho failed this season was because he “lacked communication skills.”

Hiddink has also turned his resume around. He took over the Netherlands team for Louis van Gaal but endured a disastrous spell there. They lost to the likes of Iceland and Turkey and missed out on the upcoming Euro tournament. But he has had proven success with Chelsea, and he has come in and changed the atmosphere. Mikel admired the way he has lifted the spirits of the players:

"From day one, since Guus has come in, the atmosphere has changed. He has given responsibility to people and expects them to thrive on it and make sure they do it in a way where they feel comfortable. I think that is what the players are showing, now.When he gets upset he tries to clear the air straight away. He speaks to whoever is involved and lets you know what you have done is wrong. This football club is bigger than anyone and he puts the record straight, right away. He does not hold grudges. It is finished and we move on. You can see it with Diego [Costa]. It takes a lot to get Diego in a good mood!"

Even after digging themselves a hole in the first half of the Premier League season, a top six finish isn’t out of the question. There is no question that momentum is on Chelsea’s side right now.