Chelsea wants to send Hiddink off with FA Cup win
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard wants to give Guus Hiddink the perfect going away present: an FA Cup winners medal.
In less than four months, the Dutch manager has rejuvenated players who seemed to lose their way under Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Hopefully we can get him a medal, Lampard said before Saturdays final against Everton.
The game at Wembley also gives Chelsea a chance to ease some of the sting from the loss to eventual winner Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals.
European soccers ruling body is investigating misconduct charges against Chelsea players in the aftermath of that match, and the recriminations could be felt long after Hiddink is back coaching Russia leading to the 2010 World Cup.
Also lingering will be Lampards regard for Hiddink.
Our performance over the last five months has set the standard, Lampard said. Hes been very impressive, the way he handles players, the way he handles everything really. It will be great to finish off with a big day out and a win for him.
Chelseas players were furious over a number of penalty appeals that were waved off against Barcelona. The Spanish club tied the score during injury time at Stamford Bridge and advanced on away goals.
Winning the FA Cup would never erase the memory of that. We think we should have been there, so its going to be hard, said defender Ashley Cole, who is looking to become the first player since 1891 to win five FA Cup medals. We have to forget about that and concentrate on the final.
Chelsea finished third in the Premier League, seven points behind champion Manchester United. It is looking to win its first trophy since capturing the 2007 FA Cup under Jose Mourinho, who left at the start of the following season to be replaced by Avram Grant for eight months before Scolari took charge.
While AC Milans Carlo Ancelotti is favored to fill the job next season, captain John Terry just wants a peaceful offseason.
It would be lovely to win the cup, go away and not read anything and not hear anything about Chelsea or football, Terry said. It has been a tough couple of years with different managements and it is important the players get their rest and we come back even stronger next year.
At Everton, manager David Moyes has been on a steady ascent since arriving from Preston in 2002. The Scot was honored this week as manager of the year for the third time by the League Managers Association. He is looking to deliver Evertons first trophy since winning the FA Cup in 1995.
He has made this club believe they can look upwards, and for that more than anything else we worship him, Everton owner Bill Kenwright said. David has turned us into virtual European regulars. The man has achieved miracles.
