Chelsea would be right not to renew club legend’s contract
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If it were up to Guus Hiddink, ageing Chelsea stalwart John Terry would be handed an extension to his Chelsea contract, despite enduing a poor season up to now.
Speaking after the 3-3 draw with Everton, the current Chelsea boss stated that the 35-year-old is as good now as he was during his last spell in charge in 2009.
It’s a good job that Hiddink isn’t the one who gets to decide the fate of Terry, because it’s time for the defender and the Blues to go their separate ways.
This is the former-England international’s 18th season as a professional and in that time he has won five FA Cups, four Premier Leagues, three League Cups, two Community Shields and the Champions League.
From that list of honours, it’s clear the man described as captain, leader and legend has been integral to the success the Londoners have enjoyed in recent years, but this season has been a different story.
The champions have the sixth-most porous defence in the top flight and have let in five in their last two matches.
Terry has been a big part of those defensive misgivings, with 31 of the 34 goals Chelsea have conceded in the Premier League coming when Terry was in the team and he put the ball in his own net against Everton.
Of course, he cancelled that out with a late equaliser, albeit from an offside position, but the true measuring stick of centre-backs is how they stop goals going in rather than how they do up the other end of the pitch.
The former-Three Lions captain’s longevity at Stamford Bridge should also work against him in the contract negotiations.
This is because, Terry is the only one remaining of the Blues’ old guard, with the likes of Petr Cech, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba all shown the door in recent seasons.
Whoever comes in as the new long-term gaffer for Chelsea should be given the opportunity to mould their own team. Having a remnant of the past in the dressing room wouldn’t help matters.
Furthermore, along with Branislav Ivanovic, the experienced defender is one of two players over 30 for the west Londoners.
With so much youth running through the side, now is the right time to invest in them and move on the older players.
