Home » Teams » Chelsea » Opinion: Why John Terry Remains Chelsea’s Best

Opinion: Why John Terry Remains Chelsea’s Best

Chelsea Blog

John Terry. Where does one even begin to hail the achievements of one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history?

As Premier League football resumes this weekend, John Terry returns to the headlines after suffering a bizarre and ignominious substitution against Manchester City at the Etihad last week. Jose Mourinho defended his decision to substitute his captain by claiming Terry couldn’t cope with the pace of Sergio Aguero, which in reality is true.

John Terry
John Terry

But defenders of the centre-back point out that Gary Cahill was an even more hapless victim of Aguero’s speed and trickery. So why was Terry the sacrificial lamb? Others argued that if the coach knew about Aguero’s assets, why did Kurt Zouma not start the match? Or why did the more experienced Terry not remain to provide leadership?

All that’s history now. Reports from the Daily Mail show Terry doing what he has always done: bounce back. Sharp, focused and able to keep pace with new recruit Pedro, Terry looks set to regain his undisputed spot on Mourinho’s team.

One of Terry’s many attributes is his mental strength. Over the years, he has faced a fair share of criticism and disappointments but he has bounced back from every one of them.

He alienated himself from neutrals when the scandal of an affair with Wayne Bridge’s partner was reported. He lost his England captaincy following the race row featuring the Ferdinand brothers, Anton and Rio. He missed the would-have-been winning penalty in 2008 Champions League final in Moscow, and was absent on the field as Chelsea claimed the Champions League four years later. Rafa Benitez and Andre Villas-Boas left him out of their squads, thinking he was washed up. But he lifted the Premier League trophy and Capital One Cup last season, not mentioning a string of trophies and personal applause along the way.

Terry is the description of consistency. He is the highest scoring defender in Premier League history. He may not be the fastest defender on the planet, or even in his team but strikers know his worth and his ability. Despite his substitution last week, it was an ironic tribute to Terry that Aguero targeted majority of his pacy runs at Terry’s equally slow partner, Cahill.

You don’t become a captain, a leader and legend by being a weakling. Terry has a big personality, and he is an inspiration for many. Instead of grumbling about his treatment, which he has a right to do as captain and at 35 years, he has put his head down and gotten on with the job, determined once more to impress his manager by his deeds and not his words. That is the man Terry is, and we must enjoy him while he’s still around.

Pedro Rodriguez certainly will.