Chelsea recovered from a 3-1 first leg defeat to Napoli to become the only English side to reach the last eight of this season’s Champions League. Drogba, Lampard and Terry were all on the score sheet. So what is all this talk about the old guard being bad for Chelsea?
Last night Drogba, Lampard and Terry displayed all their qualities and showed that they are still key players for Chelsea football club. There is no doubting that all three are passionate about the club and the Chelsea fans worship them in return. The glory years that Chelsea enjoyed under Mourinho were spearheaded by them and that is something that should not be forgotten. Yes, Chelsea have struggled this season and any Chelsea fan will tell you that so far on the whole it has been a disappointing season. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t turn it around.
Chelsea are still in the FA Cup and the Champions League and a top four finish is still up for grabs. Last night Chelsea showed the team spirit of old and dispelled any myths of dressing room divides. Caretaker boss, Di Matteo, knows the club and the players and how to use their wealth of experience to the team’s advantage. I don’t think that there is any doubt that John Terry will be a big character in the Chelsea dressing room but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. While he is certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, there is no doubting his leadership qualities on the pitch. Injuries and the England captaincy debate have ravaged his season but last night he showed how he can lead Chelsea to victory when few had given them hope.
AVB felt the wrath of the fans after poor results and his failure to select the old guard in the ‘big games’. He wanted to do things his own way and should be respected for that. He was also probably thinking long term and Terry, Lampard, Drogba and co won’t be around forever. However, last night they all proved their worth in a blue shirt. If Chelsea are going to finish fourth and try and match the might of Real Madrid and Barcelona in the Champions League they are going to need all the experience and know-how of their senior players. I think Di Matteo knows this. After the game last night he embraced all his players and if they are 100% behind him like it looks they are Chelsea’s season of turmoil could still have a happy ending.
Follow me on twitter @thomasflower.
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