Ashley Cole last night pledged to end another season of Chelsea near-misses by winning the FA Cup - and give Guus Hiddink a fitting send-off.
England ace Cole ran the gauntlet of the Arsenal fans who used to idolise him as Hiddink's Blues bounced back from the heartbreak of their Barcelona defeat with a comprehensive Emirates win that sealed third place and automatic Champions League group qualification.
But with the bitterness of last week's controversial exit still a gaping wound for every Chelsea player and fan, Cole vowed to ensure they pick up their first piece of silverware for two years against Everton on May 30.
"What has happened has made us even more determined to win the FA Cup," insisted Cole.
"Last season we could have had the treble and we ended up with nothing. The FA Cup is a great trophy, one everyone wants to win.
"Everyone is really motivated to win a trophy after going out of Champions League. We have to win a trophy." If Everton are vanquished, then Hiddink, who turned around a season heading for the buffers after replacing Luiz Felipe Scolari, will depart Stamford Bridge a genuine hero, a status Cole insists the Dutchman deserves.
Cole added: "It's sad that the Cup Final will be his last game. A lot of the players hope not, but I think that is what's going to happen.
"All the players would love him to change his mind, but it's not down to us.
"We are going to miss him, so it would be nice to send him off with the FA Cup.
"Even after Wednesday, when we were so disappointed over the way we lost, his character got us motivated.
"He said to us, 'The season is not over yet - we still have the FA Cup to look forward to'. We all want to win it for ourselves, but for him as well." Cole's own foraging display, once again edging a terrific battle with Theo Walcott, was a reminder to the Emirates boo-boys of what they have missed since his move across the capital.
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The stick was unrelenting, yet Cole used it as a spur rather than shying away.
"It's always fierce against me when we go to Arsenal," said the left-back, with a grin. "I don't blame them, but I expect it now.
"I just want to play my game and win and win things for Chelsea.
"But perhaps it was easier for me to get my head around the Arsenal game because of that.
I hate losing against Arsenal, so of course it was going to make me more motivated.
"But the lads did well. A lot of people thought we would have been down and out, but we showed a lot of character. We didn't get into too many fights or battles, as we normally do.
"Sometimes when you have not kicked a ball you can't really talk about the game's strong emotions and you don't understand.
"As a player, you feel for other players and you can understand the frustrations." Cole's coded defence of Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack will not alter UEFA's apparent determination to punish Chelsea for their post-match behaviour against Barcelona, with formal charges expected in the next 48 hours.
And the England defender accepted that a first win over one of their Big Four rivals was the reason why it is now three years since Chelsea were champions.
He said: "That is where we have fallen down. You must beat the teams about you to win titles and trophies."
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