Chelsea interim manager Guus Hiddink has revealed the really likes the fact that defender Branislav Ivanovic doesn’t shout too much and when he does speak, he gives out “short commands.”
Ivanovic, 32, is certainly one of Chelsea’s most senior players as he joined the club in 2008 winning every trophy available to him during his time at Stamford Bridge.
However, the 6ft1 Serbian international came under intense criticism during the first-half of the season, after he kept finding himself getting exposed at right-back. Many teams would play quick and agile attackers against him and Ivanovic would struggle to keep them in check.
But following the arrival of Hiddink as interim boss, the 32-year-old’s performances have steadily improved, while he’s also shined at centre-back after replacing the injured John Terry at the heart of the defence.
And after his match-winning performance against Southampton, Hiddink has
hailed Ivanovic’s communication skills.
Hiddink is quoted by the Daily Star as saying: “He’s not a big shouter, but the short commands he does is what I like about him very much as a manager.
“I want what we do in training and team meetings to be executed by my key players like Branislav.
“That’s why I’m happy that players like Fabregas and Oscar are doing their job as well so it’s good to see that some players step up, not just in their personal performance but also organising tactically.
Against Southampton, Ivanovic put in a commanding performance. The defender scored the winning goal in the 89th minute, while he also won 63% of his duels against the Saints.
Furthermore, Ivanovic made eight defensive actions on Saturday, only his partner, Gary Cahill, made more than him with 11.
Chelsea and Ivanovic’s next game sees them travel to struggling Norwich City on Tuesday evening.
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