Hiddink wants Loftus-Cheek to make his mark

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11.01.2016 01:35 h
Hiddink wants Loftus-Cheek to make his mark
Guus Hiddink has challenged Ruben Loftus-Cheek to put in
the hard work required to fulfil his potential after the teenager
scored his first Chelsea goal in their 2-0 FA Cup win over
Scunthorpe.
Loftus-Cheek gave a glimpse of his talent when he came off
the bench to sweep home Cesar Azpilicueta's pass with a
composed finish in the 68th minute at Stamford Bridge on
Sunday.
The 19-year-old finished off third tier Scunthorpe after Diego
Costa had given Chelsea an early lead in the third round tie,
but Hiddink claims the gifted midfielder still has a lot of work
to do before he is the finished article.
London-born Loftus-Cheek has been regarded as the jewel in
Chelsea's academy crown for some while, but previous boss
Jose Mourinho was critical of his attitude and rarely used
him.
After pumping millions into overhauling the youth system of a
club that hasn't produced a star of their own since John
Terry, Blues owner Roman Abramovich is desperate for more
homegrown players to emerge.
Abramovich celebrated in unusually exuberant fashion when
Loftus-Cheek scored, but Hiddink made a point of highlighting
both the youngster's potential and areas where improvement
is needed.
"Ruben came in and he had a beautiful goal, not just in the
execution but the way he prepared himself, and that was good
to see," Hiddink said.
"It's important he also has a hard-working role. If you play
number 10 it's a role where you can maybe get away without
so much hard work, but that's not what we want.
"I start knowing these youngsters now. I can see the
possibilities they have and what they have to work on also."
Asked if he felt pressured by Abramovich to introduce more
youngsters into the first-team, Hiddink insisted he is free to
pick who he likes, but the Dutchman did concede Chelsea
were right to expect more from such a heavy investment.
"It is normal when you have the academy with a lot of
investment you must develop players in the Premier League,"
he said.
"If you see three or four of these players coming into the team
that is what you want.
"It is not said (by Abramovich) but that is the consequence of
the academy; you have to use them, under the conditions that
they learn.
"Our position in the league gives a few options for putting
young players in the team."
Hiddink has overseen a four-match unbeaten run, including
successive victories against Scunthorpe and Crystal Palace,
since replacing Mourinho.
But the savvy veteran is well aware that Chelsea's
rehabilitation after their remarkable collapse under Mourinho is
still far from complete.
"There were some vulnerabilities in the second half, it is true.
We have to improve," Hiddink said.
"It was a difficult game, which we expected. We got a little bit
sloppy in finishing it off after a good start."
With their Premier League title defence already in tatters,
Hiddink says reclaiming the FA Cup -- a competition he won
with the club in his previous interim spell in 2009 -- would
help salvage a troubled campaign.
"We are aiming for the FA Cup, we have the Premier League
which is difficult to get to fourth place, so it was a very
important game to get to the next round," he said.
"We are very determined to go on to get silverware."
To enjoy a successful end to the season, Hiddink will need
Costa to stay fit and in form.
The Spain striker's fourth goal in his last three appearances
was well timed after his midweek training ground row with
Oscar once again raised questions about his explosive temper.
"If you see his goal in slow motion it was a difficult goal, but
he was so focused and concentrated to get the flick on it. It's
nice to see when he is focused on the right things," Hiddink
added.