Chelsea players Eden Hazard and Gary Cahill have criticised Jose Mourinho’s man-management skills during the 2015/16 which saw the Blues finish in a dismal 10th position.
The Blues were blooming with confidence going into the 2015/16 season. Jose Mourinho’s return to the Bridge saw him guide Chelsea to the league title in his second year of his second stint at the club.
Players like Nemanja Matic, Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Gary Cahill all put in impressive performances during their title winning season, but looked like a shadow of their old selves last season. The Chelsea fans were put out of their misery as Mourinho was given the sack in December, and was replaced by Guus Hiddink on an interim basis.
The Dutchman managed to turn fortunes around to a certain extent, but he looked to have won over the dressing room as the players began to play with more cohesion and efficiency. At the end of the season, he called it a day from the game, and was replaced by Italian pragmatist Antonio Conte.
Until now, his appointment seems to have been the right decision made by the board as Chelsea find themselves with three wins in as many games, sitting second in the Premier League table.
Recently, winger Eden Hazard has heaped heavy praise on the new manager but also took a subtle dig at his predecessor Jose Mourinho. According to Daily Mail, the Belgian said:
“Conte puts trust in his players and now we are good after an ugly season last year.
“I’ve always been the same player but Conte knows how to treat players having played at the highest level himself.”
He apparently suggested that Mourinho did not treat players in the right way, which gave rise mutiny-esque atmosphere in the Chelsea dressing room. The Portuguese coach had a falling out with Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas, and also was involved in a serious altercation with club doctor Eva Carneiro.
While speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live (h/t Goal), Blues defender Cahill admitted that the side had lost their way last season and that the players had lost their focus which eventually resulted in their own undoing.
“We needed organisation. We went from winning the league to the disaster of last season. We lost our way tactically; everyone’s head was in different directions.
“Everyone had different situations going on, whether you’re playing or not, the manager, or this or that. Different distractions are never healthy.
“It is the hardest thing when everyone is not on the same wavelength. People talk as if you wake up one day and suddenly you’re a bog-standard player. It doesn’t happen,” said the English centre-back.
