Over the last decade, Chelsea created a team of winners. Under Jose Mourinho’s excellent managerial skills they went from challenging for Champions League qualification, to challenging for the title, year after year. That team was based around a world class spine, with Petr Cech, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba. All four of these players developed together over the last decade and celebrated three Premier League titles, as well as a Champions League trophy to name just a few. That mentality to never give up was instilled into them and no matter what players came and went, the core was still there and nothing really changed.
The incredible spine from Jose Mourinho’s first spell is one by one being replaced, starting with Frank Lampard. Marco Van Ginkel was signed from Vitesse in July 2013, with the Chelsea hierarchy viewing him as the direct replacement. A player with playmaker abilities, but also with that goalscoring knack from midfield. Marco Van Ginkel, was to be slowly introduced with the hope he would replace Frank Lampard. Things didn’t go well for him as he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury which ruled him out for six months. He later went on loan to A.C Milan where he is still being plighted with injuries, leading to him not being able to put a proper run together in the first team. He’s currently trying to work his way back into the side, but still remains a “prospect” rather than the end product.
Now in his second spell in charge Jose Mourinho is piece by piece putting together another squad with big expectations. He has filled the hole left by Frank Lampard with Cesc Fabregas, who although may not have the goalscoring abilities of Frank, he has leadership qualities and playmaker abilities up there with the best. He’s the end product with the right experience and potentially still has around 5 years or more of his prime left. Fabregas is currently well positioned to break the Premier League record for most assists in a season (20), as he has 15 to his name with 12 games to go.
Next up, Didier Drogba. A beast of a player who had the technical ability to control any ball played to him, to perform the spectacular and also the man for the big occasion. Mourinho has brought him back since he left on the best note possible, but he’s not the number one striker at the bridge anymore. He’s gradually declined as he’s got older and fresh blood needed to be inserted into the Chelsea front line. That role has been filled by Diego Costa, who Jose signed for what looks like a bargain right now in this market. If we consider that Romelu Lukaku cost Everton £28million with no guarantee he will become one of the best, Chelsea have signed another player in Costa who is the finished article. He’s in his prime, also with 5 years or more of top quality striker left in him. He’s similar to Didier, like Fabregas is to Lampard, but also very different. They both share a very physical presence and the ability to lead the line on their own. Whilst Didier may have had the ability to score the odd 30 yarder, Costa has the knack of being in the right place at the right time. They also share that never say die mentality and leadership qualities to lead by example.
After Didier Drogba, it was Petr Cech’s time to move aside. Possibly Chelsea’s best ever goalkeeper, who will be remembered by the Chelsea faithful for many things. Most notably his performance in the Champions League final, saving a penalty from former blue Arjen Robben and his heroics in the shootout. Also his penalty save to Lionel Messi when Chelsea got redemption against Barcelona. He’s still up there in the top 5 goalkeepers in the world, possibly the top 3. Another of those ranked in the same bracket is Thibaut Courtois. After signing for a relatively small fee in July 2011, Thibaut could have been another to fall into the list of Chelsea loanee’s likely to never make it at SW3. However after 3 very successful loan spells at Atletico Madrid, he proved he was able to play at the top level and his progress was faster than many expected. With 2 years left on his contract Chelsea decided it was now or never to bring him back. Top class goalkeepers are hard to come by, yet Chelsea have found themselves a gem. 10 years Petr Cech’s junior, it was a tough decision to make, but one that had to be made. Both goalkeepers are proving with each game that they both deserve to be number 1, but Thibaut is the future and Jose Mourinho sees this. In September 2014, Thibaut Courtois signed a new 5 year contract with Chelsea, securing his services for many more years to come.
This brings us to John Terry, who is still irreplaceable in the heart of the Chelsea defence. Chelsea signed David Luiz in July 2011 for a fee of around £25million, none the less after 3 years of his services, it was visible he wasn’t capable to replace John Terry and was sold for double the price. John joined from West Ham in 1995 and has since came through the ranks at Chelsea to cement his position in the Chelsea team. Jose Mourinho came to Chelsea in 2004 and straight away chose John as the club captain and he’s not looked back since. A decision which was justified throughout the season as Chelsea went on to win the Premier league title in record-breaking fashion. He won the PFA player of the year, was voted the best defender in the Champions League for the season and was selected in the FIFPRO World XI. This speaks volumes as he’s the only defender in the last 21 years to win the honour of PFA player of the year. Since then he was included in the FIFPro World XI for five consecutive seasons, from 2005 to 2009.
John Terry is most known for his aggressive no nonsense style of defending, his ability to read the game and his positioning. He may not have the speed that others possess, however he makes up for this by being able to think 2 steps ahead of everybody else. His skillset is extraordinary. John is ambidextrous, which sets him aside from many other central defenders already. If you didn’t know anything about football, yet just watched one game, you’d struggle to determine his strongest foot. This allows him to be very technically gifted, with vision to spray balls left, right and centre. Another of his strongest assets is his strength defending and attacking set pieces. Defensively, he’s in the right position 99 times out of 100, rarely ever beaten to the ball. Offensively, he’s one of the biggest threats in world football. Although he’s a central defender, as of now he has scored 59 goals for Chelsea in his career. This is an exceptional feat which has led him to be Chelsea’s all-time highest scoring defender, one that will take some beating.
What stands out most about John is his leadership qualities, he’s an inspiration and a role model for the youth players coming through for his honours in the game. He leads by example and never gives up. When Chelsea defy the odds, pundits claim it’s “destiny”, or “fate”. I disagree, although at times Chelsea have not had the strongest team, they’ve always wanted it the most. Fighting for every ball, with that mentality that games aren’t there to be played, they’re there to be won. Chelsea have become the one English team that is truly feared in European Competitions that it’s no longer a “shock” if Chelsea beat Barcelona or Bayern Munich. These things are made able by the heart of Chelsea FC and that’s John Terry. That experience of fighting through the youth ranks and earning the shirt isn’t something these expensive signings can feel. Liverpool had the same from Jamie Carragher, it’s just not something that can be replaced.
So what are the options? I personally believe that Chelsea will never see another John Terry unless it comes from within. That strive and struggle to force their way into the team is vital to understand what it means to play for a club of Chelsea’s profile. Signing defenders for extortionate fee’s is always a risk, as there is expectancy to play and also the pressure not to flop. We’ve seen this with David Luiz, who failed to make a strong enough impact. Also with Eliaquim Mangala, who has struggled at Manchester City since signing for around £30million. Kurt Zouma is a player who could take this role, signing from St. Etienne for £12million in January 2014. With relatively low pressure, he was signed to provide cover for centre back pairing Gary Cahill and John Terry. His progress has been alot faster than expected and is already pushing Gary Cahill for the starting spot next to John Terry. At 20 years old, Kurt is experiencing that feeling of having to fight his way into the side rather than having it given to him on a silver platter, which will only benefit him. His performances are becoming more and more convincing and if anything it’s proving that Gary Cahill may not be of the quality we are expecting, therefore suggesting that he may be replacing Cahill rather than Terry.
This can only mean that the search is still needed. With highly regarded youth prospects like Andres Christensen or Nathan Ake coming into the first team, Jose could potentially mould one of these how he likes. Out of the two Christensen is most likely as he certainly has the ability to develop into a well rounded centre back, yet is still very rough around the edges. Nathan Ake on the other hand is more likely to feature in midfield, as he doesn’t seem to have the right height requirement and skillset that most top centre backs seem to have. If this was to happen, the development of Christensen would have to accelerate at a much faster pace, as with a long way to go yet, John isn’t going to be able to play forever. Possibly 2 years left, 3 at a push for John, Christensen would have to be proving at 21-22 years old that he’s good enough to play at the top level. With John Terry being the last player to come through the Chelsea academy that has went on to staying in the first team, here’s to hoping the next will be his prodigy.
Another two options we have, come from our famous loanee system. Step forward Tomas Kalas and Kenneth Omeruo. Both aged 21 and both plying their trade on loan at Aitor Karanka’s Middlesbrough, they both equally have reasons to stake a claim. Tomas Kalas made his Premier League debut for Chelsea in April 2014, at Anfield, against Liverpool, replacing John Terry in the first few minutes. Chelsea went on to win 2-0 and Kalas didn’t look out of place at all. This was the moment he became highly recognised as a strong contender to break through into the first team. Soon after he was shipped off to FC Koln in the Bundesliga for this current season, yet was refused a chance to prove himself as he recorded no appearances in the first team. He was moved in January 2015 to Middlesbrough and has made 8 appearances in the championship so far. Kenneth Omeruo on the other hand is a Nigerian international, most recently starring for them in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, although he is yet to make an appearance for Chelsea’s first team. He spent the second half of last season on loan at Boro, and all of this season so far, becoming a fan favourite.
However though 18 appearances this season may seem quite reasonable, most of these were recorded nearer the start of the season, recently being pushed out of the side by the centre back pairing of Daniel Ayala and Ben Gibson. Omeruo was featuring at right back, although Kalas has been starting ahead of him more recently. Both of these players certainly have bright futures ahead of them, but I doubt it will be in the blue shirts of Chelsea.
Last options we have are to buy one of the numerous players rumoured to join Chelsea in their search to replace John Terry, with Raphael Varane being the most talked about. Although Real Madrid seem unwilling to sell him anytime soon and I don’t blame them. Brought through by Jose Mourinho in his time with The Galacticos, he certainly stands head and shoulders above many his age. Other realistic targets include José Giménez of Atletico Madrid, Aymeric Laporte of Athletic Bilbao and John Stones of Everton. In one or two years, these players are expected to be performing at high levels and all 3 could potentially partner Kurt Zouma as the future Chelsea centre back pairing. With Zouma looking very likely to progress into filling the right centre back position, most teams usually opt for a left footed player to fill the left centre back spot. Out of these 4 candidates, only Aymeric Laporte supplies that. Yet John Terry is testament to the fact that it’s not always needed if you’re as ambidextrous as he is. With Mourinho at the helm of Chelsea, I trust that he will find the right replacement, as he’s proving time and time again since his return to Stamford Bridge, Jose knows best. He has perfectly replaced each player with a similar player of similar quality with all the right tools to succeed. John Terry will go down as one of the best of his generation and in my eyes the best centre back ever, yet although his position will be filled for many years to come, he will never be replaced.
Captain. Leader. Legend.
Find Samuel on Twitter, @Samuel_Kelly.
