John Terry, the Chelsea and England captain, has spoken of the renewed desire within the Chelsea camp to win the Premier League title this year, after being forced to watch Manchester United celebrate a record-breaking 19th title win in May.
‘Seeing Man United lift the trophy last year is enough to spur me on for another few years at least, but that’s the determination we’ve all got to set ourselves at Chelsea this year,’ he said.
‘What Man City and Liverpool are doing, regrouping their whole side, and Man United have clearly strengthened with some really good English players but we don’t feel that we’re behind. We’re being linked with a couple of players but if we’re left with what we’ve got I’m really confident we’ll still be okay.’
Terry believes this year’s Premier League will be as competitive as ever before and feels the title race could even become a five or six horse race.
‘Man City really believe,’ he went on, ‘and showed in the first half of the Community Shield that they can do it. Us and Man United have pushed ourselves for the last five or six years, Liverpool have really strengthened, Tottenham, Arsenal. Everyone can beat everyone, which makes the Premier League the best in the world.’
The Blues’ rivals have spent millions on the likes of Sergio Aguero (City), Ashley Young, Phil Jones (both United), Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson (both Liverpool). However, JT doesn’t feel Chelsea have been left trailing in their wake having not spent similar sums this summer.
‘Considering that we spent £70M in the January transfer window with Nando and David Luiz, no!’ he replied. ‘People have forgotten about that. It’s taken them a little bit of time to settle in so they’re really two new additions as well.’
‘We don’t know what formation the manager’s going to play, what strike force he’s going to go with but, if selected, I’m sure he’ll (Torres) hit the ground running this year. Naturally it takes time and he came with a lot of pressure last year as well, so with his first goal out the way we’re hoping there’s more to come.’
There’s also a new manager preparing to lead Terry and Co. into battle this season, Andre Villas-Boas. From the words of Terry, who remains club skipper under the new boss’ tenure, there’s plenty of admiration for the former Porto manager.
‘He’s come in and put a new emphasis on training,’ Terry said. ‘I’m not saying there wasn’t that before but he’s come in and told us from day one what he expects from us as a group on and off the field and the way he wants us to play as well so we’ve been working on that for a good five or six weeks now.’
‘He feels we’re in the right place at the moment, the players trust and respect him and we’re just hoping to hit the ground running and get off to a flying start.’
The usual gossip resurfaced this summer about the need for the club to have a clear-out and revitalise the ageing spine of the side. However, Terry doesn’t feel the team’s age is too much of an issue:
‘I think everyone makes a lot more of that than maybe they should. When you look at the spine of the team people think myself, Lamps (Frank Lampard), Didier (Drogba) have maybe been there too long and when things don’t go too well it’s time for us to leave or the manager to make changes.’
‘But I can assure you not only us but all the players on a daily basis work our socks off for the football club because we appreciate what a great club we’re playing at. So when new players come in they see that’s the basis of the Didier’s and Frank Lampard’s, that’s how we’ve got to work to make it and stay in this team and the way they train day-in, day-out is an example to everyone coming into Chelsea.’
Terry was due to play for England in a friendly international against the Netherlands yesterday at Wembley however, due to the widespread rioting on the streets of London, the match was called off by the authorities, a scenario that saddened the national team skipper.
‘I think when an England game or football games are called off it’s very sad but I think what we’re seeing is devastating images of what’s happening out there in the communities for families and businesses,’ he explained.
‘All we urge for is calmness on the streets and the safety of the public. The police did a great job last night and things calmed down and we’re hoping for the same and that’ll improve night after night.’
Terry was born and raised in Barking, East London and, despite enjoying a life of luxury a million miles away from those humble beginnings now, feels he and his fellow professionals have a great capacity to relate to the problems on the streets and in the communities up and down the country.
‘My family still live on the same estates that I grew up,’ he said. ‘I go there many times a year to see the young kids in the youth clubs and back to my school and stuff so we relate to them very much. Maybe the MPs can’t relate to the kids as we do. All we can do is collectively come together and send a message out that we urge for calm on the streets.’
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