Former Premier League midfielder Jamie O'Hara has urged Chelsea to call John Terry to fix their issues, including a lack of leadership.
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O'Hara suggests Chelsea bring Terry backSays the club lacks leadership and 'proper men'Surprised Terry isn't already with the clubGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
The Blues sit 10th in the Premier League league and fell to a shock 1-0 defeat to Championship side Middlesbrough in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. Since Mauricio Pochettino hasn't been able to discover the right recipe for reliable performances, pundits, including O'Hara are casting doubt on Chelsea and their present squad. O'Hara has thus recommended that Terry be reinstated to the side since the team have 'absolutely no leadership qualities' and 'no proper men.'
AdvertisementWHAT O'HARA SAID
Talking to Grosvenor Sport, O'Hara said: "The first thing they should do is phone John Terry and get him in that dressing room and allow him to get hold of some of those players.
“Their standards have fallen so far that they’ve forgotten what it means to play for Chelsea Football Club, and they need to be reminded of it. I remember playing against Chelsea when I was a player and coming up against the likes of Terry, Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Didier Drogba. They were proper men who wanted to turn up and get good results. Even if they weren’t playing well, they would turn up away from home and win games; they’d go through teams and refuse to roll over. They’d fight to get a result and that’s why they were so successful."
"I looked at this Chelsea team against Middlesbrough on Tuesday night – and I’ve been watching them for the last 18 months too – and they are as soft as anything. They’ve got absolutely no leadership qualities; none of them want to get on the ball apart from Thiago Silva and Cole Palmer. Connor Gallagher is a good player, but captain of Chelsea? One of the most successful football clubs in the world? Come on!"
"They’ve been disgraceful this season – they’ve absolutely messed it up, and these players aren’t getting any better anytime soon. Forget potential and what they’re ‘going to be’ doing in a few years, they haven’t got the mentality to accomplish anything or be successful. They’re going to be where they are for a very long time."
GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite the poor performances, Pochettino hasn't yet had his position at the club questioned as the leadership has backed the Argentine's vision at the club and has also promised more signings in the coming months. Earlier in the week, O'Hara had also expressed his surprise that the Blues hadn't reached out to Terry to incorporate him into the coaching side of the club.
WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?
The Blues will look to return to winning ways when they take on Marco Silva's Fulham on Saturday, January 13 in hopes of starting the Premier League in 2024 with a winning start.