Chelsea are set to avenge our early season loss at Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace with Sunday's trip across London to Selhurst Park. It won't be easy of course, but manager Guus Hiddink sees plenty of positives in our last few matches to feel a little bit confident.
"If you see them, which is rather normal for me, their work rate in their last game at Old Trafford that it was tactically disciplined; we didn't have the big punch, the big power to go often forward so we had two, three big chances: we did not reward then."
"But the attitude and the tactical discipline was OK. The attitude of the players was good. So that's fundamental to try to get into this winning mood."
The manager does warn, just like Mourinho before, that in the modern Premier League, no winning mood can last too long. The league is too good, with the gap from the top sides to the mid-table sides decreasing with every transfer window.
"As I said and I will repeat it I did want to know a lot from the past but it's obvious that we have to improve and we start gathering a bit of points and it was the third consecutive game that we didn't lose; but that's not enough."
"I think Chelsea must come now into a winning period of games. But you see how it is, all the big teams are losing points as well. It's nowadays very difficult and if you see where our next opponent [Crystal Palace] is in the table, they are close to Champions League positions and they have a very good [number of goals scored] but they are defensively also very well organized with just 16 goals conceded so far."
"So it's not that easy nowadays to go into a long-term winning sequence but we have to go there."
Speaking of clubs buying players, Hiddink was adamant that the rumors linking the likes of Cesc "comes to training with a smile" Fàbregas and Loïc Rémy with moves away of Stamford Bridge are just that, rumors and are not to be taken seriously.
"I think we need all the players here until the end of the season. You know better than I do that Chelsea still are in a position where they have to improve a lot to go up the [league] table and we need all the players for the moment. So we don't talk and we don't go into rumours, wherever they come from."
"[Rémy] is our player so we're not going into that."
Didier Drogba's potential return was also addressed, with the manager confirming again that he would like to have the Chelsea legend back as either a coach or as someone to put his immense experience and leadership to use around the club in some sort of ambassadorial role.
"I expressed a while ago [after] the game against Sunderland that those rare kind of ex-players with these big statures, they would be very good for any club to have and specially him because he's a Chelsea legend. But for the moment he has his contract with Montreal and we have to respect that."
"I think you should give them time and opportunities to find out what the best is for them. It might be in the coaching staff, it might be as an ambassador."
"I think those guys need to go into the squad and help younger players, all players, with their huge experience. So, I'm not in favour of big ambassadors and the 'travelling around the world with a tie'. That's what I don't like. I think they must give their huge experience to the specially young kids and helping out the older ones when they are in some trouble whatsoever in their career."
In a recent interview, Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew voiced his concerns over the perceived lack of opportunities given to British coaches by the Premier League's top clubs. Now working with a hopeful managerial prospect in Steve Holland, Hiddink said that he agrees with the sentiment, asking big clubs to give more chances to coaches from the country.
"I agree with that. I didn't read the interview but in general I think - and I'm working now in the recent days, week and more with my staff - and I'm very happy. And I'm not just saying that for politeness but I'm very happy what Steve Holland and his staff brings up.
"I'm very impressed with his performance. So that means in my opinion that although they are not very big names, they must be given the opportunity to do bigger jobs than they normally do."
"I was impressed to be honest how we managed now and how well we cooperate so I think that's also a signal for clubs: don't be afraid. I think every now and then they should at least interview, give a chance for British managers as well."
-Guus Hiddink
That said, let's hope we don't end up hiring Brendan Rodgers in the summer.