Can John Terry Flourish in Antonio Conte's New System at Chelsea?
STAMFORD BRIDGE, LONDON — The last time Leicester City were in town, Chelsea fans were playing a guessing game over John Terry's future.
It was the last game of 2015/16, and after a stand-off between club and player that had lasted the best part of five months, Terry had been offered a one-year contract extension to keep him at Stamford Bridge for another season.
Some inside the stadium that day took Terry's emotional speech at the end of the game as his farewell; others held out more hope that he would agree to whatever the new terms were that Chelsea had offered him.
We didn't have to wait too long for an answer. Within a few days, Terry had signed on. Fast-forward to Antonio Conte's new regime at Chelsea, and it seemed Terry wouldn't be playing the reduced role he had been expected to. With few defensive reinforcements made, the early matches of 2016/17 saw him remain an integral part of Chelsea's rearguard.
It was a case of deja vu; many things change in west London, but Terry's pre-eminence has been the one thing we can bank on. Since Roman Abramovich purchased the club in 2003, the captain has been a mainstay. Whether Chelsea have been free-spending in the transfer market or sacking managers, it hasn't diluted Terry's presence.
We're getting a hint of that all changing now, however. It's not about age or ability but more of Terry's inability to fit in where Conte needs him to.
The consensus after back-to-back defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal in September was that Terry's return from an ankle injury couldn't come soon enough for his manager. Without their leader at the back, Chelsea had crumbled, conceding five goals in 180 minutes of humbling football.
The Blues were slapped with a reality check—first the forehand of Liverpool before Arsenal swung a return with their backhand to land consecutive blows. Only now, as the dust has settled from those defeats, the changes Conte has made mean Terry's position in this team is in serious doubt.
When Leicester returned to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, five months after their last visit, Terry could only make it as far as the bench. He was fit and available to Conte, but unused he remained.
Coming back from an ankle injury that has seen him sidelined for the best part of a month, there will have been an element of match sharpness, or lack thereof, that played a role in the boss' decision-making. More than anything else would have been that Terry isn't exactly suited to playing in a back three.
Having flirted with the 4-1-4-1 that had come unstuck in September, Conte is swaying more to a setup that he has deployed previously in his coaching career. The 3-4-3 has been present for Chelsea's last two outings, and on the evidence of the Leicester game, it isn't going to be disappearing any time soon.
Those defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal haven't defined Chelsea's campaign in the way we thought they had. Losing so convincingly, the perception was one the Blues were well off the pace and unable to compete with the best. Conte has reacted positively, though. Without Terry around, he's been able to make the changes he perhaps wouldn't have done had his 35-year-old captain returned to fitness sooner.
Despite his age, Terry's presence alone demands he be picked at Chelsea—especially when he remains the club's best defender. Indeed, Terry is arguably still the best Englishman plying his trade at the back in the Premier League.
As much of a strength as that can be, it can also hinder the development of a team. The reason Chelsea have moved on Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba and Petr Cech in recent years is for that reason; the club has been attempting to kick start the next cycle of success to emulate what those players achieved. Having them around wasn't going to help that from a footballing perspective.
It's testament to Terry's ability and all-around contribution that of all those famous names, Chelsea couldn't fathom allowing him to leave. They've needed him, although his presence as a figurehead has been detrimental to how Chelsea have played their football.
His injury gave Conte time to think, and we're seeing the results of that. David Luiz is anchoring the defence now, using his ability to get the ball forward while Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta flank him. With Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso as the wing-backs, dropping into defensive positions from that four-man midfield, Chelsea have looked a more fluid unit.
Not only are the Blues looking better in attack, but back-to-back clean sheets for the first time since April hint at a more stubborn rearguard.
"When a coach arrives at a new team, it’s important to have the time to understand the right characteristic and above all to study the right fit for the team," Conte explained to the press on Saturday.
"After we conceded a lot of goals, I decided to change before the Hull City game, and then we have continued. I think this system suits the talent of all players—the defenders, the midfielders and also wingers and strikers.
"Now we must continue to work and to follow this way because for me, but I think also for the players, it is the right way."
It doesn't sound too positive for Terry, especially when we take into context the demands the 3-4-3 we're seeing at Chelsea puts on the players.
Conte didn't rest for a moment on the touchline against Leicester, always talking to his team and shouting instructions. The most consistent demand of them all was for Luiz and the other defenders to push higher up the field.
There was a moment after the interval when Luiz looked at his manager with an element of concern. In front of him stood Jamie Vardy, and the Brazilian was far from eager to leave himself exposed to a potential foot race with the Foxes frontman.
Luiz was sitting off Vardy, giving himself a head start for any long balls that were targeting the space in behind. Conte wasn't fearful of that, however; he needed his players to congest the Leicester half and force them further back toward their own goal.
As much as there's an emphasis on Diego Costa to start that, Conte needs his defenders to support it from the back. If they don't, it leaves pockets of space that are just as much of a threat as the rapid pace of Vardy.
For Terry, we need only remember his slip against Arsenal in October 2011, when Andre Villas-Boas was trying to deploy something similar with Chelsea. As a fine a defender as he is, his lack of pace is like kryptonite to managers craving that high line.
It failed five years ago, but with different defenders and Terry's powers waning, Conte has every reason for thinking he can introduce that aspect to his Chelsea model.
The big test will come on Sunday. Keeping clean sheets and dominating against struggling sides—Leicester are champions, but they haven't won away from home all season—is one thing; doing it against Jose Mourinho's Manchester United is quite another.
Combating United's qualities in midfield will play a big part if Chelsea are to enjoy any success. They will have to marshal any area of the pitch where United have plenty of physical and technical strength, so Conte will require something similar to recent performances.
Cesc Fabregas has already been a big casualty of Conte's need for total dominance in those areas. Is Terry going to be the next?
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes.
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