John Terry reasserted his presence in Chelsea’s FA Cup advance past Stoke
John Terry has made his point. This tie was still on edge, the visitors mustering themselves in pursuit of an equaliser, when Chelsea’s talisman barged himself into space at Frank Lampard’s corner to thump in the goal that deflated Stoke City’s challenge. The manic goal celebrations that followed arguably offered the best insight yet into the centre-half’s thoughts at surrendering the England captaincy.
Terry peeled away from the near post, the net billowing after his header had flicked off Andy Wilkinson and beyond Thomas Sorensen, to run to the corner of the East and Matthew Harding stands pointing at the armband. By the time he wrestled himself clear of the celebratory huddle, he had rolled his left sleeve up to his shoulder while leaving the armband exposed on his biceps, his charge alone back into his own half pointedly aimed at the Stoke fans packed into the Shed.
Terry is growing used to the abuse to which he is subjected at games these days, the vitriol all born of the allegations over his private life that cost him the England captaincy last month. The visiting fans delighted in an array of chants – all following the same, predictable theme – and, when they remembered, booed Terry whenever he found himself in possession. Chelsea’s fans responded with cries of “There’s only one England captain” despite the fact that there had been three at Wembley last Wednesday night alone and none of them had been Terry.
At the current rate, and if the abuse continues for much longer, the 29-year-old is in danger of emerging from the Wayne Bridge affair, no pun intended, as an unlikely victim. It has to be hoped that, as he had stated in the aftermath of the Egypt game, a line has been drawn under the unhappy episode. His own form had suffered over the last month, the high-profile errors against Everton, Internazionale and Manchester City pointing at uncharacteristic fragility.
His display for England in midweek was made to look more assured by his central defensive partner Matthew Upson’s slip for the Egyptian goal, but he was more ruggedly impressive here. Stoke are not the aggressive long-ball team that some imply, but they boasted rugged and awkward forwards in Mamady Sidibe and Ricardo Fuller. Terry and the excellent Alex coped admirably as Rory Delap’s throw-ins ripped into the six-yard box and Henrique Hilário, a goalkeeper living on his nerves, heaved himself through the clutch of bodies in search of the ball. Terry offered reassurance in the circumstances.
The captain, raw emotion after his goal aside, will merely be content to have halted this team’s mini-slump. Chelsea had not lost three in a row since October 2002 – when Claudio Ranieri’s side lost to West Ham, Viking Stavanger and Liverpool – and their capitulation to City had been infuriating. “As players and fans we learn to lose from time to time,” wrote Terry in his programme notes. “But it doesn’t make it any easier, and especially not in the manner that we lost to Manchester City.
“It wasn’t that it brought to an end our 37-match unbeaten run. It was more the way we lost, which was not us at all. We don’t accept that kind of performance and that kind of result. We know all our fans won’t accept it, which is why we have to put things right.”
They did just that here. The holders’ grip on this trophy remains as firm as ever, and their captain’s dip in form appears to have passed.
ChelseaJohn TerryStoke CityFA CupDominic Fifieldguardian.co.uk
