Former Chelsea man Ray Wilkins believes Guus Hiddink's appointment as manager as helped the Blues' dressing room become much more relaxed.
Wilkins, who played and coached at Chelsea, was Hiddink's assistant at the West London club in 2009 and believes that the Dutchman will improve the atmosphere around Chelsea.
Wilkins admits Hiddink is firm but fair
He told Sky Sports, "I never worked with Jose Mourinho, but having had the pleasure of working with with Guus." He claimed that "if the atmosphere was intense under Jose it will be completely opposite with Guus". Wilkins stressed Hiddink will "demand they train well" and "demand they play to a very high standard" but the training will be "jovial".
Wilkins continued by saying, "He wants them to work but with Guus it will be fun all the way."
The atmosphere provided by Hiddink will come at just the right time as Chelsea are in the bottom half of the table entering the second half of the campaign. Despite their position, the Blues remain in touching distance of the European places and are still involved in the Champions League.
Wilkins spoke about the competition, saying, "The Champions League is vitally important for him as well with a very tough couple of games coming up against Paris Saint-Germain."
Is Mikel the key to Fabregas' up-turn in form?
Chelsea are now three games unbeaten under Hiddink, including an outstanding 3-0 win over Crystal Palace last Sunday. John Obi Mikel was one of the stars of the show and Wilkins believes the re-introduction of the Nigerian into the starting lineup as been improved the side, especially in regards to Cesc Fabregas' performances as he now has "that safety net of John Obi Mikel".
Hiddink was hired as the interim manager at Chelsea after the Blues sacked Jose Mourinho in December, just seven months after winning the league. With Chelsea sitting in 14th, Hiddink has a much bigger task on his hands than his previous spell.