We can make it impossible for Mourinho to go, says TerryJohn Terry spoke for many Chelsea fans yesterday when he expressed his hope that winning the quadruple would make it impossible for the club to dispense with José Mourinho. The manager’s position remains precarious, despite his much-publicised hug with Roman Abramovich after the FA Cup semi-final win over Blackburn Rovers on Sunday, with the Russian still minded to replace him with a more attack-minded coach who would be easier to control.
Although Terry was careful not to criticise the Chelsea owner, it is clear that his sympathy lies with Mourinho, the captain urging the club to “do the right thing†by the man who has led them to four leading trophies in 2½ seasons. Chelsea could yet add a third Barclays Premiership title, a first Champions League and another FA Cup and Terry hopes that finishing the season with a shower of silverware will be enough to save Mourinho’s job.
“No one will leave the club if we win the quadruple, definitely not,†he said. “I don’t see anyone leaving this summer at all. We are a tight-knit family and we want to keep it that way for many years. One thing we have at Chelsea is that we have been very much together over the last two or three years. That has got us where we are and is a big factor in our success.
“Seeing the hug in the papers is great for every player. As a team, on the pitch and off the pitch, we are fully together and that’s the main thing. What goes on behind the scenes is not about us and all we can do is put in the right results and help people that way.â€
While Mourinho’s position will not be resolved until the end of the season, Terry is also facing an uncertain future after talks about a new contract broke down last month. Discussions over Frank Lampard’s proposed extension have also reached an impasse after Chelsea refused to match the £130,000-a-week wages enjoyed by Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko, but Terry is hoping that both players will stay at Stamford Bridge.
“If we can keep Frank, myself and the manager, we will achieve great things over many years,†the defender said. “The manager has been great for me and hopefully the club will do the right thing by him, by myself and Frank. I want to stay for life and have told the club that, but negotiations have broken down. I’m not going to go in there when I have got so many more important things on my mind.â€
With Chelsea out to overhaul Manchester United’s three-point lead at the top of the Premiership, Terry believes that injuries to Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic could prove crucial. “We had a bit of misfortune earlier in the season but now have everyone fit at the right time,†he said. “Rio has been playing brilliantly well alongside Vidic and he is a big miss for them. Those two are the backbone and any team would miss them.â€
While Terry is relishing the tussle for trophies with United, Stuart Pearce fears that the dominance of the big clubs is damaging the long-term health of English football.
“I think it’s extremely one-sided,†the Manchester City manager said. “There is a massive gorge between the top four and maybe even the top two or three and the rest of the league. Statistically you might say four teams can win the league, but Liverpool haven’t won it for years, so that perhaps narrows it down even more.â€
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