Terrific Terry lifts his tired troops

Roberto Di Matteo has rarely been tempted to open up since he was installed as the interim first team coach at Stamford Bridge, and so it was on Saturday when it was put to him that while Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs are hailed for their longevity at Manchester United, Chelsea’s veterans have been frequently written off.

It was clear, however, he agreed with the point that was being made.

Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and John Terry may not have performed as consistently well as Scholes and Giggs this season — the Premier League table provides confirmation of Chelsea’s frustrating season — but in the final weeks of the campaign, Chelsea’s old guard have come to the fore in a manner that could not have been imagined during the final days of Andre Villas-Boas’s reign.