John Terry backs Jose Mourinho and calls on Chelsea team-mates to stay united behind under-fire manager
Chelsea captain John Terry has issued a rallying cry to his underperforming colleagues, insisting they will only reverse their current slump if they remain united behind manager Jose Mourinho.
Terry – who also took aim at outspoken pundit Robbie Savage – today rubbished suggestions that a dressing room mutiny had contributed to the club’s disastrous start to the season.
Speaking before Wednesday's Champions League match at home to Dynamo Kiev, the 34-year-old reaffirmed that Mourinho remained the best coach he had worked for and declared Blues stars owed it to him to save his job.
Terry’s defence came amid a miserable few days for Mourinho, after he received a domestic one-match stadium ban and it emerged he is being personally sued by former Chelsea doctor Eva Carneiro.
“It will take a dressing room that stays together,” he said, when asked what Chelsea needed to improve on a record of just five wins from 16 games.
“We’ve seen in the last two or three days ridiculous stories about what’s happening within the club and within the dressing room. I can assure you now the players are 100 per cent behind the manager.”
Hours after midfielder Cesc Fabregas had moved to deny claims that he was leading a revolt against Mourinho’s tactics, Terry derided allegations that some players favoured losing over winning for the Portuguese.
“In my whole career I’ve never heard a player come out with those words,” he added. “It’s ridiculous. I’ve seen the disappointment in players’ faces after results. That player wouldn’t get out of the dressing room. If players heard that among ourselves it wouldn’t go down too well.”
Terry admitted he accepted criticism of his own displays from former England colleagues but took issue with such remarks from ex-Wales international Savage, now a media pundit.
“Maybe I don’t listen to players who have played at a really bad level, who haven’t had a career – Robbie Savage being one,” he said. “He has dug me out a couple of times. I’ll take it from Rio [Ferdinand], [Jamie] Carragher and [Gary] Neville. From others? No.”
Mourinho, meanwhile, described the mutiny claims as “a very sad accusation, because you are accusing a player of dishonesty”, and insisted he expected to see out the remaining four years of his contract.
He added that he expected Chelsea to win their Champions League group, despite sitting third at the half-way point following defeat to leaders Porto and a draw at Kiev last month.
“Even the match tomorrow is not must-win,” he said. “It’s a must-not-lose, but not a must-win. Our situation in the Champions League is not phenomenal but it’s an absolutely normal situation. It’s not a game we need to win like in a knockout [round]. I’m convinced we can finish first and if not first, second.”