Tom Lappin: Hiddink and Hodgson prosper by playing to their similar strengths

Published on Friday 1 May 2009 22:28

THEY are both wandering managerial mercenaries with a couple of decades of impeccable experience at club and national level. And they both appreciate the occasional value of a resolutely defiant 0-0 away from home.

Guus Hiddink and Roy Hodgson should have enough in common for a long and genial chat after this afternoon's match at Stamford Bridge. Hiddink probably has enough Dutch irony in his genes not to complain too much if Hodgson's Fulham players adopt an ultra-defensive and combative style to defy Chelsea's flamboyant superstars. Everything is relative, as that Munich 1860 fanatic and Rudi Voeller lookalike Albert Einstein used to chant from the terraces.

Chelsea's performance in the Nou Camp on Tuesday received the frostiest of reviews in the Catalan press. "Anti-football" was one succinct description; "mean-spirited, dull and destructive" padded out the adjective-count. There was righteous indignation that Chelsea, the second-richest club in the world (depending on which economic sums you believe) should play like a La Liga struggler intent on damage-limitation.

It's all the manager's doing. Hiddink has the luxury of a very short contract to protect him from the owner's expectations. If Roman Abramovich dismissed Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant and Luiz Felipe Scolari because they were unable to turn Chelsea into the 1970 Brazilians, the same threat holds no force with Hiddink who is out of here in a month regardless. Tuesday showed that Hiddink cares more about results and his own reputation than he does about the spurious visions of a Russian billionaire. Trophies first, poetry later is Hiddink's mantra.

It may not profit him anyway. If Barcelona are the pure exponents of brilliant attacking football that their press cheerleaders proclaim, then it shouldn't present them with too many difficulties scoring at least once in west London. Do so and they will force Chelsea to open up and leave some gaps at the back. If Barcelona are not too caught up in their own narcissism, it might reward them to put in a phone-call to that old Madrid hand Rafael Benitez and ask him how to go about scoring four times at Stamford Bridge.

Some of the less parochial commentators in the Spanish media realised that part of Barcelona's problem was a disparity between refereeing in Spain and elsewhere. In La Liga virtually any physical challenge has become a risk, exacerbated by the hyperbolic over-reactions of any player on the receiving end (we're looking at you here Dani Alves). The closest player Barca have to an enforcer, Yaya Toure, devoted most of his combative energies on Tuesday night to heartfelt lamentations and appeals to the referee.

Hiddink, impressed but not intimidated by Barcelona's attacking prowess, played to his strengths. His strengths being the indefatigable resistance of players like John Terry, John-Obi Mikel, Michael Essien and Frank Lampard. He looked at his resources and appreciated that Barca, for all their panoply of intricate ball-players and precision passers, don't really do muscular athleticism.

This kind of practical acumen has also been the not-so-secret key to Fulham's success this season. Hodgson, although his personality might seem a throwback to an innocent 1940s era of gentlemanly courtesy, is a thoroughly modern manager. After pulling Fulham out of the relegation mire last season, you'd have expected a season of quiet desperation, scrapping for points. Instead, Hodgson's team sits seventh in the Premier League, in a European qualifying place.

Fulham don't play prettily, but they aren't Stoke or Blackburn either. They are disciplined, energetic, quick-passing and full of movement. Hodgson has made a virtue of his squad's limitations, without resorting to purely reductive tactics. What he has achieved at Craven Cottage this season amounts to one of the Premier League's most impressive accomplishments. Manchester United look set to win the league, but it should be remembered how thoroughly Fulham outplayed them in their 2-0 defeat of the champions in March.

Mohammed Al-Fayed might own Harrods, but Hodgson has a squad that is drawn from football's equivalent of Tesco. Like Hiddink though, he has been careful to play to his strengths. The Norwegian centre-back Brede Hangeland has been the cornerstone of the defence. Danny Murphy is consistently excellent in midfield, combining the energy and adventure of a Lampard with the passing vision of a Xabi Alonso. In attack Andrew Johnson, Hodgson's one major purchase, is both a decent target man, and a potent threat running from deep. Throw in the energy of Simon Davies, the resilience of Aaron Hughes and the inspired form of the goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and you can see how Fulham have prospered.

Hiddink has already pretty much surrendered the Premier League, so may be inclined to shepherd his resources for the derby game this afternoon. It's an unglamorous fixture given that the Barcelona match looms on Wednesday. Pep Guardiola should take a look though, and learn a little from Fulham's attitude. If they want to prevail at Stamford Bridge, Barcelona may have to drop their lofty assumptions of superiority and be willing to get their hands dirty.