Didier Drogba: New Chelsea boss confirms veteran striker as assistant coach

Drogba was in the stands alongside owner Roman Abramovich and new interim manager Guus Hiddink to watch Chelsea’s Premier League win over Sunderland on Saturday. He had five losses, four victories and a draw during his year in charge of a team that finished third at the 2014 World Cup under Louis van Gaal, now the manager of Manchester United.

And Holland expects his former boss to walk into a top job, sooner, rather than later. Because of his love of football, you will see Jose at football grounds working and supporting friends.

“On a day like Thursday I felt particularly sad”. And I think the memories of what he has brought to this football club in 2004/5 onwards to what he done past year and everything else and the fans will never forget that and that’s why they showed their appreciation.

The coach will be at Stamford Bridge for Saturday’s match but Steve Holland will take control of team matters for the game alongside Eddie Newton, who will now take on the role of assistant first-team coach.

“All of us has a responsibility for what has happened and all of us are responsible for where we are in this moment”, he said.

“I’ve been able to get to know him a bit deeper than that, and he’s an exceptional person that it’s been a privilege and a pleasure to work with”.

If they continued to do that, Holland added, the supporters, who heckled and booed some players especially striker Diego Costa on Saturday, would come round.

“Absolutely and rightly so as well”, Terry told Chelsea’s official website, when asked if restoring fan support would be crucial now.

But while Chelsea perhaps predictably improved after Mourinho’s dismissal and the return of caretaker boss Guus Hiddink, M’Vila says Sunderland were so bad that the managerial situation made no difference to the outcome.

In one sense, it was a game that Chelsea’s players could not win as, though the much-improved performance strengthened their league position, it also hardened perceptions that they had not been giving their all for Mourinho.