Veteran defender believes winning the title today by beating Spurs could egg them on to more silverware this season
London: John Terry believes winning the League Cup will give this Chelsea side lift-off and open the floodgates for more trophies, just as it did in 2005. The competition was Jose Mourinho’s first piece of silverware 10 years ago and prompted a period of dominance under the Portuguese that included a second League Cup, an FA Cup and two Premier League titles.
Chelsea defender John Terry celebrates after a win against Stoke in the EPL at Britannia Stadium on December 22 last year. Pic/Getty Images
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The Blues skipper insists victory against Spurs today can have a similar effect on the current crop.
“The 2005 win was the first one for the team which made a big impact through all the squad, it set us on our way,” Terry said.
“It gave us a taste of what we wanted and we wanted it more, I think it brought the squad closer together. With that in mind this could be the first one for all of us — the manager is right, we have got to go out and win trophies to put us right up there.
“Like everyone I felt something different when the manager came in. It was a different mentality, everything was about winning. He made that clear from day one.
“That rippled through the whole squad, through the academy, through the whole club really, and he has continued that, he has brought that back again this time.
“A lot of people write this competition off but for me it is huge and we look back on that 2004/5 season, it had a huge impact on our confidence and momentum.”
Tottenham go into the final at Wembley as under-dogs but Mauricio Pochettino’s side can take confidence from their superb 5-3 victory against Chelsea on New Year’s Day.
“Everyone is rattling on about that but for me, it was fairly comfortable for us at the Bridge when we won 3-0,” Terry said.
Talking points of League Cup final
1. Three and easy for Chelsea? With their hopes of achieving a quadruple this season ending with the FA Cup loss to Bradford, Chelsea can still end the season with three titles starting today against their London rivals. They currently sit top of the EPL with a five-point gap and will be hoping to progress to the quarters of the Champions League having drawn 1-1 away to PSG in the opening leg of the first knockout stage.
2. Can Pochettino deliver silverware? Mauricio Pochettino was appointed coach of Tottenham last summer and his remit would have surely contained a note on breaking the club's seven-year run without a trophy. The Argentinian will have a chance to do that at the first opportunity as he leads Spurs out at Wembley and he would join a long line of successful Tottenham bosses who have delivered silverware to White Hart Lane. It would also be the first trophy Pochettino has won as a manager.
3. Will Kane run riot? One game that will live long in the memory of fans of both Tottenham and Chelsea was when Spurs beat Mourinho’s men 5-3 at White Hart Lane on New Year’s Day. Harry Kane, who has scored 12 goals in his last 11 EPL appearances, struck twice on that day and easily dominated against a strong Chelsea defence usually marshalled so capably by John Terry and Gary Cahill. The striker will be licking his lips at the prospect of coming up against that defence once again — especially as a repeat of that afternoon in north London would see him collect a winners’ medal playing for his beloved Spurs. — PA Sport
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