Guus Hiddink has thrown down a challenge for his players to chase Chelsea's very own Triple Crown.

He wants to win the Champions League, the FA Cup and finish in the top four of the Barclays Premier League.

It is a tall order for the fallen champions, who are wallowing in 15th position as the interim manager prepares for his first game in charge, against Watford, at Stamford Bridge, on Saturday.

John Terry trains ahead of Chelsea's clash with Watford that begins Guus Hiddink's latest reign at the club

Hiddink has set the Blues a target of winning the Champions League, FA Cup and finishing in the top four

'Generally, I set targets,' said Hiddink. 'If the target is impossible, don't do it.

'But I did put that to them, because mathematically it's possible, to get into fourth position. Then the Champions League. Then the FA Cup. Three targets still to go.

'On top of that - or as a foundation of that - they must show now what they're capable of. As a consequence, then, you go to those targets.'

In his first interim spell at Chelsea, from February to May 2009, Hiddink lost only once in 22 games - a Premier League defeat at Tottenham - and won 16.

His team beat Everton at Wembley to lift the FA Cup, reached the last four of the Champions League before falling to a late strike by Barcelona's Andres Iniesta, and finished third in the league, three points behind Liverpool and seven adrift of champions Manchester United.

'We didn't even lose to Barcelona in the semis,' said Hiddink, recalling an agonising defeat on away goals, but he added: 'It is a different group of players.

'The players at that time were big players, leaders. Although they were not performing well, they were Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and Michael Essien. Now we also have big players, but it's difficult to compare.

Hiddink is in his second stint as Chelsea's caretaker boss having lost only once in 22 games last time

Hiddink celebrates with Chelsea stars, including Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, after the 2009 FA Cup win

When I see them in training and the way they played in the first-half against Sunderland - in the second-half we were a bit sloppy defensively - I see they can play.'

Chelsea were fourth, 10 points behind the leaders when Hiddink took over in 2009. This time, they are 11 points behind Tottenham in fourth. They are at home to League One Scunthorpe in the FA Cup third round, and face Paris St Germain in the Champions League.

Hiddink has also another task, persuading striker Diego Costa to keep a lid on his hot temper without destroying the player's passion.

The manager will tolerate occasional eruptions from Costa - and others - in the heat of competition but expects elite professional footballers to be able to exert some degree of self-control.

'Sportsmen are allowed to show a bit of emotion, but they must know five or 10 seconds later that they're wrong,' said the 69-year-old Dutchman.

'A long time ago, I was subbed even though I was captain, and I wasn't used to that. That day is fixed in my head. I was the captain of my team and the manager substituted me at half-time.

'I thought I had performed well. I hadn't but I thought I had and I tore off my armband, threw it at him and said: "You make a new captain". It was also an emotional reaction born of frustration.'

Hiddink wants to persuade striker Diego Costa to keep a lid on his hot temper without destroying his passion

Costa showed improvement as Chelsea beat Sunderland for their first win for almost a month in the league

Costa was banned for three matches, earlier this season, for flinging an arm at Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny. This was followed by an on-field bust-up with Jose Mourinho in Israel and a training bib he tossed at the manager when he was an unused substitute against Tottenham.

'He's an emotional guy,' said Hiddink. 'I've worked with him a few days, and in the past I've seen him on television a few times. What I experienced in the last few days, and with the last game he played, he was in control.

'He was focused more on what he is hired for here, which is to help to score or assist and not going into other things. I cannot have any complaints about him.'

Hiddink watched from the stands, last week, as Chelsea beat Sunderland. It was their first win for almost a month in the Barclays Premier League for nearly a month, but there was no goal for Costa.