Why Chelsea's John Terry Is Still the Premier League's Standout Defender

If ever there was a moment to quote a worn-out cliche, Chelsea captain John Terry's has arrived.

We hear it said so often—the old adage of form being temporary and class permanent—that it can sometimes result in the meaning being lost.

Indeed, it's used that often that much of the time it isn't even relevant.

For Terry it is.

The Chelsea defender has endured a difficult start to 2015/16—first being very publicly dropped by Jose Mourinho, then following up that embarrassment with a red card.

Like the rest of his teammates, Terry has been on the receiving end of a relentless assault on his team's position as Premier League champions.

After just three games of the new season, we're not seeing the Chelsea we thought we would. Instead, they've been stripped back to reveal their frailties in full view of a watching public, struggling to return to the form that saw them cruise convincingly to the Premier League title.

The top flight of English football can do that to you.

Swansea City took no prisoners, but instead a point from Stamford Bridge on the opening day of the season, while Manchester City served a reminder that it's tough at the top (there's another cliche for you).

Chelsea may have reacted to the 3-0 defeat against City with a victory against West Bromwich Albion last weekend, but they were still made to work for it.

Their defence had to counter some heavy blows at stages, with Terry's second-half dismissal proving the biggest of them all.

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Now he will miss the upcoming game against Crystal Palace as we head into the international break, meaning we won't see Terry until September 12 at the earliest when Chelsea travel to Goodison Park to play Everton.

By that time, John Stones may well have swapped the north west for west London, putting Terry's Chelsea future under the microscope even more than it already is.

That red card may well prove a blessing, though. Away from the spotlight and able to refocus his attentions, we can expect Terry to rediscover what makes him so vital to this Chelsea side.

He's a player who has built his career on nothing else other than his ability as a footballer. If it came down to a question of athletics, then he would hardly have graced League 2, let alone the Premier League.

We've known since he first came on the scene that John Terry can't run.

Terry's dominance at the back comes from how he reads the game, how he sets things up in front of him. He's been the chief organiser for club and country, and without him, both have struggled.

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We've seen it too often with great players that when the body gives up, there's not much else they can do to curtail it.

Rio Ferdinand suffered at Queen's Park Rangers last season, appearing a shadow of the man in his prime. Looking a little closer to home, Chelsea have witnessed how Andriy Shevchenko's career took a nosedive the moment he lost the pace that had once ranked him among the world's finest strikers.

In both instances, the ability of Ferdinand and Shevchenko as footballers was dependent as much on their physical attributes as it was with a football.

Terry's different.

A career spanning over 600 games at the very top is going to see any player exposed, of which Terry has been since making his Chelsea debut way back when.

Yet for every Robin van Persie moment, there have been plenty more when Terry has reigned supreme.

Indeed, when Chelsea were spending millions on a whim in their pursuit of glory during the early years of Roman Abramovich's rule, the fact the club never looked beyond their captain at the heart of defence is the biggest indicator we need for his talent.

And those very qualities that acted as the foundation for the Chelsea we see today are much alive and well. The only difference being is that Terry is a bit older and wiser.

There are defenders in the Premier League who can run faster than Terry, but it's difficult to name one who can defend better than him.

His positional sense remains impeccable despite the odd calamity, while he sniffs out danger like few others can.

There's a growing feeling for Kurt Zouma to become a regular at Chelsea now, although a comparison with his captain shows why Mourinho is right to continue holding the Frenchman back.

From what we've seen in the first year he's spent at Chelsea, Zouma's well on the way to emulating the stars before him. Terry shows he's not quite there yet.

The plaudits Zouma receives are much different to the praise lavished on Terry.

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It was just four months ago when Terry was being lauded as England's finest for all of the above, whereas Zouma's positives are focused on a much different aspect. We talk about his recovery and ability to match the likes of Raheem Sterling in a foot race but rarely how well he positions himself and works technically.

That was never Terry's game, but until Zouma can add Terry's qualities to his own performances, he's not going to be regarded on the same level.

We don't talk about Terry's ability to recover, his knack for getting back and stopping players from scoring. Why? Because we don't have to.

Every great defender plays the game in front of them. They read the danger well enough to know when to drop deep, when to react and when to hold position.

From the terraces, not watching them perform sliding tackles and last-ditch rescue missions may not be entertaining, yet for a manager, it's the sign he always wants to see.

It's a demonstration of total control; a realisation of footballing brilliance.

Terry's never been a defender to regularly finish a game with dirty socks; he's been much better than that.

And at 34 years old, he remains better than that. He remains better than them all.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes