How John Terry’s Absence Has Finally Allowed Chelsea to Move Forward

All good things must come to an end. Just ask Chelsea captain John Terry.

There doesn’t seem to be a way back for him at Stamford Bridge now. After a glorious career that has not just defined this generation, but Chelsea as a football club, it seems he is being gradually phased out by manager Antonio Conte.

Currently injured, even if he were fit right now, Terry wouldn’t be featured in Chelsea’s new-look back three. He hasn’t started in any of the Blues’ matches during their 11-game winning streak. The only match he has started since September was in the EFL Cup against West Ham United—a game Chelsea lost 2-1.

Rather than a sense of doom and gloom setting in at the club, Chelsea are rejoicing in the fact. It’s not through a lack of emotion toward Terry, but more because what it represents. After years of procrastinating, Chelsea are finally moving forward.

First it was Didier Drogba leaving in 2012, before he was followed out of the door by Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Petr Cech. When Jose Mourinho was sacked last December, it seemed to finally close the door on the generation that has made Chelsea’s name in the modern game.

Terry was still lurking, though, which told us plenty about where Chelsea were headed. We weren’t sure, and it seemed the club wasn’t, either. Terry was loitering, being kept on as some sort of connection to the past while the club decided what the future would look like. With no visible identity planned, Chelsea needed to retain the one they did have.

Then Conte stepped into the picture.

What we’ve seen this season has been a major boost for Chelsea. Conte has got the club back to the top of table by completely ripping up the rule book and building from the ground …

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