John Terry’s getting close to returning from a broken metatarsal he suffered at the start of November while playing for his new club Aston Villa, but this weekend he took a slight detour from his recovery activities by taking in a Chelsea match at the Bridge then heading down to the Sky Sports studios for a guest analyst spot on Monday Night Football next to former England colleague (and Premier League rival) Jamie Carragher.
Listening to JT speak has been a feature of our lives for most of the past two decades, so this segment, at least for me, brought up a few nostalgic feelings of days and teams and glories past. But there’s little use in wallowing in past accomplishments; just as JT opted for a big challenge of joined a brand new team, we move forward.
In any case, it’s a brief 7-minute segment that’s worth your time, as JT talks about choosing Aston Villa over Swansea (and in the process keeping his promise to the fans about not playing against Chelsea while also helping him in his coaching studies), his verdict for the Chelsea season thus far (we’ve done little wrong, says the former captain) and the transition the team’s going through (that said, Willian and Pedro aren’t “young boys” anymore, old man).
As Carragher points out, Terry will obviously have a very blue-tinted outlook on things, though perhaps we shouldn’t immediately discount his belief that Conte will stay for a long(er) term than most expect. After all, he did work with the man for a year.
“I think they see him as a long-term manager and, having worked with him, I have to say the way he dealt with me and the way he deals with players and the tactical side of things he brings to the game is first class. I do think they will stick with him long term."
In a later segment, JT was drafted in to talk about this year’s all-conquering Manchester City side, which of course would be smacked down by Chelsea’s all-conquering 2004-06 side.