Interesting story over at the British Daily Telegraph regarding Chelsea’s mini-renaissance under the part-time stewardship of Guus Hiddink, which will resonate with anyone who was privy to his handling of the Australia team in 2005 and 2006

Hiddink denounced his predecessor Luiz Felipe Scolari as presiding over a “lax regime” at Stamford Bridge and has accordingly instituted tough new rules for players. As the Telegraph writes: “[This] involves players being punctual for training, increased fitness regimes, restrictions on mobile-phone usage on club grounds as well as fines for any of the aforementioned regulations being broken.

“He has also clamped down on the players’ images, insisting that the club’s Armani suits be worn when travelling for home or away games and when leaving stadiums after matches.

“Hiddink, who is never seen on the sideline out of a suit, has also made specific reference to how the players should knot their ties.”

The “Hiddink effect” seems to be working. Back in fourth place just weeks ago, Chelsea are now in second position and challenging hard for the title, just as Hiddink said they would.

As I write in my 2007 book 15 Days in June, I sat behind Hiddink at the Australia Vs Brazil match in Munich and spent most of my time taking photos of the big guy. The owner of a fascinating, character-filled face, Hiddink spent most of the match turned away from the action and lost in thought, his fingers cradling his chin, his brow furrowed. He also looked super sharp in a beautifully cut grey suit and had an undeniable aura about him – something which his players attested was part of what made him such a great coach. They wanted to impress him.

Even one Graham Arnold had some of the Hiddink effect rub off on him.

He too was wearing a grey suit that day and, amazingly, even to me looked managerial.

(It’s a shame when he got the big job himself he was not so preoccupied with sartorial concerns and more often opted for his usual clobber of tracksuit or polo top than the full get-up. Pim Verbeek, as we all know, follows the Hiddink suit-wearing trick to a tee, and it helps.)

Could Arnold’s rough-and-ready appearance explain some of his poor results and his fractured relationship with parts of the senior team?

It seems ridiculous but it’s not beyond the realm of possibility.

I recall an instance of John Kosmina slouching and wearing shorts when he was assisting Arnold for the Asian Cup but to his credit the former Sydney FC coach wore a suit when he was on the sidelines in his A-League job. Only problem was you can put a guy in a suit but if he’s lacking class it’s going to show. Kosmina persisted with his habit of slouching in his seat. Kosmina lost the respect of his dressing-room and look at how Sydney’s season subsequently fell to pieces.

I wrote long ago about the importance of thrall in the make-up of any coach and, with Hiddink, a significant part of his thrall has to with image. It’s undeniable – and it would be something our own A-League coaches would do well to replicate.

Aurelio Vidmar consistently wears a suit but still looks cheap with shirt collars that double as an advertising hoarding. Frank Farina, another suit wearer, makes a decent effort but is usually to be found sans tie. Ricki Herbert and Lawrie McKinna seem undecided whether they prefer a suit or tracksuit. Tracksuit devotee Ernie Merrick, though hugely successful, looks like a bloke on his lunch break you might find drinking beer and pulling the one-armed bandits in a backroom at a local pub. Ditto David Mitchell and Gary van Egmond.

Hardly thrall getting.

The sharpest-looking A-League coach I can remember was Pierre Littbarski, who always looked immaculate when leading Sydney FC in “Version 1.0” and look what he went on to achieve.

His successor, Terry Butcher, who liked to wear a T-shirt, tracksuit pants, sneakers and baseball cap on match days, came a complete cropper.

It’s a left-field theory, and I’m sure there are exceptions that shoot holes in it, but I’m convinced a well-cut suit makes a huge difference when coaching a football team – as Hiddink, the master of image, continues to prove.

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