Hiddink Leaves On A High

Guus Hiddink finished his stint as Chelsea's temporary manager with an excellent victory over Everton in the FA Cup Final, where a Chelsea team full of class and experience dealt with the big-game situation better than an Everton side that lacked ideas on a warm day in London.

I must say that like many neutrals, I was gutted that Everton were not victorious, and they were given the perfect start after 25 seconds when Louis Saha's exquisite shot found the back of the net to provide Everton with a 1-0 lead and the record of the quickest goal in an FA Cup final...ever.

One must pay respect to Guus Hiddink's side in the resilience that they showed in coming back to equalise through a powerful header from the effervescent Didier Drogba before the half-hour mark. Everton's attacking influence was nullified by a combination of the strong Chelsea midfield and the weather conditions which made it extremely dificult for the two sides to play at a high-tempo.

Chelsea were always on top in the match and Everton never really got going, and so Chelsea's second goal, that came courtesy of Frank Lampard, came as no real surprise.
Lampard finished with aplomb but Tim Howard will probably be a bit annoyed with himself that he failed to get a better touch on the shot to tip the ball beyond the far post. Florent Malouda's blast looked to have crossed the line but you can't blame the assistant for not awarding the goal, because you can never be sure with those kind of shots.

Louis Saha had one final chance to take the game to extra time with a header but as the ball went north of the goal, Everton's chances of victory went south. Chelsea ran out winners and Everton can have no complaints.
David Moyes put on a brave face after the game but it was obvious that he, like many of the playing squad, were simply gutted at the result.
For Chelsea, the victory was all the more sweeter as it was the first victory since the enigmatic Jose Mourinho left the club for good, and the players dedicated the victory to the exiting manager Hiddink, who has been praised constantly throughout the season for his professional approach.

Everton missed out on their big chance to get their first piece of silverware, but something tells me that with David Moyes in charge, they will get a fair few more chances in the future.

The Greatest Cup Competition In The World

The FA Cup.
The single greatest cup competition in the world.

The magic of the great cup continues, as Everton look to win their first piece of silverware under manager David Moyes.
Chairman Bill Kenwright has always said that his one goal is to one day hold up a trophy to crown his success at the club. Kenwright is an Everton fan himself, and he has said that he will treat FA Cup final day as an experience, just like any other Everton fan.

Wouldn't hear Roman Abramovich saying that now, would you?

Everton are a fantastic side with a manager to match. Since arriving as an unknown manager from Preston all those years ago, David Moyes has created a legacy at Everton, establishing them as probably the 'Best of the Rest' in the Premier League.
However, there is one blot on his CV. Moyes has never won a Cup trophy. Beating Chelsea would be the crowning glory for a manager who has completely transformed his Everton side.

What is more amazing is that in a season where Everton have been blighted by injuries to key players, Everton have had continued success. Mikel Arteta, probably the club's best player, has been missing since February, and the club have been without an out-and-out striker for large parts of the season, yet Moyes has still managed to lead them to 5th place in the League and an FA Cup Final. Moyes doesn't even know the meaning of the words 'squad rotation' (take note Messers O'Neill and Benitez) and he has excelled by mixing his experienced stars with young players such as Rodwell and Gosling.

Everton's determination to be victorious in the FA Cup has helped to restore some of the magic of the cup that was damaged by comments from Reading in the not too distant past where manager and player Dave Kitson dismissed the FA Cup as "irrelevant".

On the other hand, the FA Cup was probably the least of Chelsea's worries a few months ago but after conceding defeat in the race for the title, and then their controversial exit from the Champions League, the FA Cup has been left as the only way for manager Guus Hiddink to get his hands on some silverware before returning to Russia.
There isn't much about Chelsea to say, that you won't already know. They are one of the best clubs in the land, and the players will be desperate to give Hiddink a good send off.

It's going to be one hell of a final.
Who am I supporting?

Well, in the battle of money - the team who have it against the team who don't, I will be rooting for the team who I feel deserve it.
Everton deserve it. Bill Kenwright deserves it. David Moyes deserves it.