Hilarious Hilario highlights Terrible Terry
Manchester City’s resounding success at Stamford Bridge on Saturday was made possible by the fragility of Chelsea’s backline. The loss of Petr Cech in last Wednesday’s defeat to Internazionale could well prove to be the pivotal moment in this season’s Premier League title race as it is abundantly clear that Chelsea do not have sufficient cover for their Czech number one. It is also clear that Hilario does not have sufficient cover in front of him to protect him from acute humiliation.
City’s first goal summed up the problems facing Carlo Ancelotti’s men. A nothing ball lumped forward by the inexplicably booed Wayne Bridge drifted into Chelsea territory harmlessly. That Terry was found wanting for pace and positioning is a pressing concern for both his club and country. That Hilario let such a meek Carlos Tevez effort squirm uncomfortably past his flailing right arm is a pressing concern for Chelsea.
It’s hard to envisage that Cech would have let that past him – if only because he’s taller than Hilario. Bellamy’s first, too, should not have beaten the poorly positioned Portuguese and, again, one cannot imagine Cech having let that particular effort past him.
Chelsea’s success during the Roman Abramovich era has been built upon a solid back-line; a solid back-line led by captain Terry. His personal life has clearly impacted upon his football of late. He has never been the quickest but has usually been capable of out-thinking his opponents and carrying his side with the sheer force of his personality. His mask has been torn from him and he has been shown up as vulnerable and immoral individual.
It’s nigh on impossible to feel any sympathy towards Chelsea and, particularly, Terry. They lost their collective head on Saturday and it will test Ancelotti’s managerial capabilities to the limit. He is the only man who it is possible to sympathise with for he inherited the squad at his disposal. His plans are now being unravelled by the unpalatable behaviour of his players both on and off the pitch.
He has vowed to stand by his captain but Terry must rediscover his form and fast. He was poor against Everton, nearly cost his team two points at Wolves and looked out of his depth against Inter. On that last occasion it was Inter’s Brazilian centre back Lucio who showed the world how a centre back should perform his duties. Such was the gaping chasm in class between the two opposing players that it’s difficult to believe that they should be playing on the same pitch. That was not the same John Terry who led Chelsea to Premier League glories and we can but hope that it’s not the same Terry who gets on the plane to South Africa this summer.
If he cannot recover mentally from the past few weeks then Fabio Capello will be entirely vindicated in his decision to strip Terry of the captaincy. Any World Cup team needs a strong leader and Terry currently looks a shell of a man. It will not be easy for him to recover either, since every trip away from Stamford Bridge will bring audible derision from the stands. How Terry copes will be central to Chelsea’s aspirations for 2010, as well as England’s hopes in South Africa.
For now, however, Ancelotti and Chelsea will be praying that Terry recovers his state of mind and form post haste, whilst also lighting their candles in hope of an early return for Cech. As things stand, a fragile Terry and an inadequate Hilario are proving a fatal concoction for Chelsea’s hopes and a perfect fillip to those of their rivals.
Miles Reucroft
