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Terry Labels United Past Their Best

Tue 12 Aug, 08:09 PM


John Terry claimed Sir Alex Ferguson is concerned that Manchester United lack Chelsea's capacity to improve after peaking last season.

United crept past the Blues in the Barclays Premier League title race and needed penalties to dispatch their domestic rivals in their titanic Champions League Final showdown.

Terry believes Ferguson's recent spate of mind games has been driven by Chelsea's ability to keep pace to the finishing line during a season blighted by injury and internal conflict.

And while Terry insists Chelsea can only grow stronger he is adamant United - including their 42-goal hero Cristiano Ronaldo - are unable to rescale the heights of their remarkable double.

"I think Sir Alex realises we weren't too far away from United when they were at the very top of their game," said the Blues skipper.

"I don't think United have another level to go to. They had a lot of players in their team who have been at the peak of their form for the last two years.

"Rio Ferdinand has been awesome for the last two years and Cristiano Ronaldo was unbelievable - I don't think you'll see that again.

"Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Ryan Giggs - they have all been fantastic. With the injuries we've had, as players we can all raise the bar a little bit.

"With it being that close in the Premier League and Champions League, they know we'll give them a big run for their money.

"I think we can close the gap because Man Utd were at the very top of their game last season.

"I'm taking nothing away from them because they've been unbelievable over the past two years.

"But we've been very close to them and we had injuries and a change of manager."

Terry bristled at highlight footage of United lifting the trophy at the Premier League launch in central London and later admitted it still hurts to see their celebrations.

But the England centre-back is eager to draw a line under last season as Chelsea concentrate their resources on reclaiming the title they last held in 2006.

"Seeing United win the trophy was frustrating," Terry explained.

"It doesn't get any easier seeing them lift the trophy that we made ours when Jose Mourinho first took over.

"We want it back and that's what we aiming for. We have to move on from last year.

"We were the nearly team last year - almost won the Carling Cup, almost won the Champions League, almost won the Premier League.

"We were very close, but at the end of the day we weren't good enough and we need to raise the bar.

"We must set ourselves big targets to win the Premier League, to win the FA Cup, to get back to the final of the Champions League and win it.

"That's the target for the whole Chelsea team and fans."

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  1. I see John Terry has already had the bashing he so richly deserves, but that won't stop me chipping in my two pennies worth. Some of the stuff he says defies logic, and gives us a real insight into why - a) Chelsea are so universally hated, apart from by their own fans and clueless glory hunters and b) why they are never going to emulate the success they had under Mourinho (which by the way they did by taking advantage of an unusually weak United side that was re-building at the time and they were an unquantified unit that people underestimated when they were buying anyone half decent). Stop crying John, you are a loser who should never wear the captain's armband for club or country - go back to what you are good at - bumming Fatty Frank in your little gay love ins and chatting @#$% no one wants to hear. Bottled in Moscow - Im not talking about Smirnoff

    From XS, on Thu 14 Aug 12:09PM
  2. It's interesting how John Terry appears to be talking so much before their bid to regain the title gets underway. I haven't heard half as much from the other big three, though I do expect to see a quote or two from Ryan Giggs about how he found John Terry's psychological battles to be quite amusing.

    We know your manager is yet to command the necessary English vocabulary to bite back directly to whatever Alex Ferguson has to say, John, but do yourself a favour and just shut up. It doesn't sound at all convincing when you blew it so spectacularly the season before.

    It's better practice to do what other great people/clubs have done when they've hit rock bottom - accept the defeat with humility, get your heads down, and then come back better than ever. The club he's been speaking so much about recently is a perfect example of such admirable resurgence.

    From CR, on Wed 13 Aug 7:42PM
  3. I'm neuteral but I think that JT's got problems, all the tears & tantrums at refs isnt normal, virtually every lose is met with a tantrum or tears......plus like somebody mentioned earlier he seems to say the same things every year, he's certainly not the player he was a couple of years ago & probably knows it.

    From jbamsterdam1, on Wed 13 Aug 4:20PM
  4. This doesn't really make a lot of sense! Yes I'd be surprised too if Ronaldo scores as many as last year, and Giggs is getting older, but Rooney and Tevez should get better, and then there's all the other younger players in the squad such as Nani, Anderson and the Brazilian twins who will undoubtedly improve individually, and contribute more as a team. Sounds like Terry is clutching at straws here..

    From Boardcomments, on Wed 13 Aug 10:11AM
  5. Did Terry cry again when he watched the Prem trophy being presented to Utd? Wimp.. Since coming into their millions and winning all those league titles... ( as many as 2 I believe - wow ) they seem to believe it is theiur divine right to be champions every year. When will Chelsea realise that having a few quid and an ageing squad doesnt give you the right to feel superior when in reality you are average. Get real Terry, you are an average player in a team of overpaid imports, you wouldnt last 5 mins anywhere else, your words sound like the ramblings of a defeated man who is about to burst into tears. I will wet myself if Pompey beat you on Sunday and the cameras catch you in tears again !!

    From Keith, on Wed 13 Aug 8:08AM
  6. It'll be hard to improve when you're relying on the same aging squad.. Terry/Lampard/Drogba/Deco/Sheva/Ballack.. oh thats right, Chelsea's core team. Lucky if they all have another 3 seasons left in them.

    United have how many stars under the age of 25? That's right..

    From G, on Wed 13 Aug 4:02AM
  7. did not chelsea beat man u at there ground on a bad penalty decision, so how come you say man u win on penalties

    From Chris, on Wed 13 Aug 3:48AM
  8. remember the papers are from that s h i t place london , they would do anything for a london club , if man u had peaked last season , as terry said what happened the season before ? man u as one person said did not just pip chelsea , we scored more goals and also let in less , chelsea will not do well this season and terry mr tears i cant score a penalty should know better man u have some good young player on there second season they will be stronger also so to peak i think you must be stupid , they played better football and thats why they won , chelsea play a boring defensive game hence the last manager was sacked as the russian could see how boring it was , now they have manager number? cant remember the amount they have had under the russian , so i think it be man u again for the title ,

    From Chris, on Wed 13 Aug 3:43AM
  9. i hv a feeling scolari will edge ferguson at the very last second this season.

    From Sami s, on Wed 13 Aug 3:00AM
  10. MU squad is so much younger than Chelsea (at least it is more balanced) and u said they have reached their peak. So tell me JT, do players peak at age 22, 23, 24 (rooney, cronaldo,tevez) then their form decline, then peak again when they are 28,30,30,31(terry,lampard,drogba,ballack)?

    From CharlesH, on Wed 13 Aug 2:59AM
  11. I think some of the Chelsea players are past their best as well! As for this article, it has a lot of misconceptions in it, was it not Chelsea that crept up on Man U, or was everyone else looking at a different competition? Plus who missed the penalty spot kicks when it counted and the preasure was on? Trying to play mind games with SAF is a waste of time and effort, he is the master of it, there can only be one result when you take on SAF in the mind games area, YOU LOSE!

    From Alan K, on Wed 13 Aug 2:33AM
  12. Terry is a mind-player. I haven't really seen him perform on the pitch as he had in front of a microphone. Yes, Chelsea is a very good team, and yes, they have the opportunity to win a few trophies. But no, they aren't better than Utd, and no, they can't overcome Utd that easy.

    Sir Alex is a genious at play, but unfortunately I believe that his tactics and decision making were in large influence by Benito, who unfortunately left the club. We'll have to see whom he appoints next. I wouldn't be surprised it is the very same Gary Neville or Ryan Giggs.

    From Footballer, on Wed 13 Aug 2:04AM
  13. what does CHELSEA mean
    C- cheap and nasty
    H- hopeless
    E- envy of man utd
    L- loser
    S- sorry football side
    E- envy of man utd
    A- Abramovich's arseholes

    From JohnM, on Wed 13 Aug 2:03AM
  14. John Terry, if he had a brain he'd be dangerous

    From GARY H, on Wed 13 Aug 1:24AM
  15. blues 4 the quad

    From robierto87, on Wed 13 Aug 1:12AM
  16. I really believe this is John Terry trying to play mind games. Also, I believe the person who wrote this article would rather see Chelsea win anything rather than Man United - "United crept past the Blues in the Barclays Premier League title race" That was an absolute lie! Manchester United were at the top since the beginning of April where Chelsea had been in third, then when we beat Arsenal, Chelsea moved up a place, then when they beat us at the bridge, they moved to joint first (second on goal difference). So how can Man United have "crept up" on Chelsea?! Then conveniently mentioning that Man Utd only won on penalties (which I will admit is bad considering we did it again in the Community Shield against Portsmouth), it just seems like a biased article with a bunch of Chelsea motivating claptrap.

    From jtflint2005, on Wed 13 Aug 12:31AM
  17. Never underestimate any team managed by Sir Alex Ferguson. He is still, in spite of his age, one of the shrewdest football managers anywhere in the world. As a grade A tactician, he knows precisely how to play to his teams strengths, and still has it in hom to lift more trophies to add to his incredible record.
    I am not a Man U fan, but you have to admire the man and his achievements.

    From Paperboy, on Wed 13 Aug 12:29AM
  18. past their best? not sure about that one. Although I think JT ia a fine defender I also think he got found out a bit last season, slow at changing direction resulting in quick players being able to get in behind him to easily, this was blamed on an ankle injury but i'm not sure As an england fan I hope thats not the case.

    From matthew.lovegrove@..., on Wed 13 Aug 12:18AM
  19. man u or maybe arsenal will take the title again, chelsea liverpool 3rd and 4th. chelsea have the money but the really tallented players won't go there cause they're seen as sell-outs.

    From N, on Tue 12 Aug 11:54PM
  20. john terry, most over-rated @#$% bag ever. couldn't hit a barn door with a combine harvester. should not be in the england team.

    From N, on Tue 12 Aug 11:49PM
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