Terry's damaged reputation heads Chelsea four points clear

There was no doubt that John Terry's head was in the clouds during today's match against Burnley. That was until the 82nd minute when the under-fire Chelsea captain popped up to convert a Frank Lampard corner past the despairing Brian Jensen, and to give his team all 3 points in a somewhat disappointing performance.

Reports in the newspapers today suggest that John Terry has had an affair with the ex-girlfriend of former Chelsea teammate Wayne Bridge. The consequences are severe. Calls for JT to be stripped of the England captaincy have been made ever so clear, and it is rumoured that Bridge has expressed no desire to play in the same team as his former friend. Yes, I am a Chelsea supporter, and I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed or shocked by Terry's antics, in fact a player I used to and still do idolise has gone significantly down in my favourite players list. However, does an off-field and private incident mean that John deserves to lose his dignity and self-respect on the field? I believe not.

The man is without doubt, our country's best defender. So to consider sacking him from the squad completely is one ridiculous claim. Many others across the land have called for him to stripped of the England captaincy, and I again have to disagree with this. Why you ask? Well it would seem close to idiocy to change captains right before a World Cup, one which we are one of the favourites to win, and we are in this situation because of the leadership of Fabio Capello and a certain John Terry. Regardless of what the man has done off the pitch, to sack him as skipper before a major tournament and cause even more unrest between a squad, who may have to adapt to a new captain in time for June seems to lack any sense. Even neutrals and some John Terry "haters" would have to understand this point. Besides we have no suitable replacement. Frank Lampard is a great vice captain but to have him as captain, I feel would bare too much on his shoulders. Steven Gerrard, a suitable candidate given his captaincy experience at Liverpool, but without a Liverpool shirt on, Gerrard's performances prove inconsistent, lacking the heart which he gives for the Kop, and at times just a shadow of the player he should be for England. Many people may disagree with my last suggestion, but after having watched him captain the side against Brazil, Wayne Rooney showed the maturity and flair, and despite defeat I was overall pleased with his performance and attitude. Captaincy could be the making of him, but his inexperience makes him unsuitable to take the reins at such an important time. That leaves only John Terry. He must be captain in South Africa for the sake of our fans travelling to the tournament, and if Capello had to really consider his position concerning this disastrous incident, then it should be considered after the World Cup.

I watched today's match against Burnley and I can truly say Terry was not his normal self. His first half booking, and 'wandering' into referee Phil Dowd at a corner emphasised his lack of concentration. I've always admired his fight, his character and his spirit to do well for Chelsea but his first half looked lost in a team he should be leading, and a team which he has been in since 2001. The Burnley fans didn't help his cause either. Booing from the first minute until the last seemed something he had to accept, and it was only an incident involving Ashley Cole in the second half which saw the boos diverted for a brief moment, and a moment for Terry to gather his thoughts and concentrate on the game at hand.
No man on this planet can criticise Terry's on-field displays. They show heart, passion and a determination to be the best he can be. There is no argument that Terry's reputation off the field will be shattered for the rest of his life, and has already lost him one friend, and probably will more. However, on the field of play he is one of the most respected players of the past five years.

His character to come back today and score the winner in a somewhat lacklustre display by Chelsea proved his worth on the field. Chelsea started brightly and took a first half lead through Nicolas Anelka, a goal which took 11 seconds to leave the hands of Petr Cech via Joe Cole and Florent Malouda before hitting the back of the Burnley net. Burnley livened up dramatically in the second half and a cutting ball from Robbie Blake, combined with an unbearable mistake from Alex saw Steven Fletcher cast home an equalise. For reasons unknown Alex stormed off the pitch after the final whistle, but his personal performances must have seen me shout some frustrating abuse at the television numerous times throughout the 90 minutes.
After holding Arsenal to a draw and defeating Manchester United at Turf Moor, Burnley looked like they were going to produce another shock result and come away with a point. However, in the 82nd minute a lovely turn and cross from lively substitute Daniel Sturridge forced Jensen to pary it out for a corner. A corner which combined Chelsea's two greats in Lampard and JT. Lampard's corner was perfectly executed, and saw John Terry powerfully header home to give his side all 3 points. He created the twist of all twists in a day which saw him go from making the headlines for all the wrong reasons, to making the headlines for the right reasons. Carlo Ancelotti said: "The professionalism of John Terry improves the image of the club". How right he is.

One thing I noticed during these, quite frankly, frantic last moments was Terry's celebration. For a player so passionate, he was secluded in his celebration. A simple jog to Frank Lampard followed by a stroll back to his defensive line showed pleasure at the goal, but dismay at other things. Every on field Chelsea player gathered to show their support for their captain, whose on-field quality had just put them ahead, but Terry's face told the whole story. It was one of regret at what he had done to his once good friend Wayne Bridge, and of course his family. Yet, on the other hand, it showed a matter of respect for the situation his private life was in, and probably even more importantly his reputation. He definitely silenced the Burnley fans, fans which I called "boring" in the 66th minute for their constant abuse towards our leader.

Do not get me wrong, what JT has done is not good enough, especially with the girlfriend of our former left back Wayne Bridge. Many men and women have affairs, but this one burdens increased severity. The fact that Terry and Bridge were once best friends, and that they could both be travelling to South Africa in June together causes tension. Footballers may seem robotic, but they are humans. They are programmed to put their personal problems aside whilst focusing on their jobs, however their human sides will come out, and I think Terry's came out today.

He knows he has done wrong, and part of me believes he is sorry for the pain he's caused. It's up to him to either fix or soften the problem. There may be a time where all is forgotten, and Terry and Bridge become respectful of each other again. One thing needs to raised again though. We all make mistakes. We're all human. Terry is in a long list of names to make a mistake, but his football career does not deserve to be punished for his antics. Without Terry, England have no leadership and certainly no backbone in defence. Capello knows this. JT's career hangs in the hands of one Italian man. But is it an Italian man willing to let his captain's football do the talking, or an Italian man who insists on listening to the demands of our so-called supportive English fans, fans who may never actually know the whole story?
When asked about the Chelsea squad's response to the allegations about John Terry, Carlo Ancelotti added: "The players will never lose their trust in him". Maybe Mr Capello should look to his Italian counterpart Ancelotti for some much needed words of wisdom.