Mersey misery spurs Terry

John Terry is determined to use the hurt of two previous Champions League semi-final defeats by Liverpool to help Chelsea make club history.

The Blues missed out on a place in the final twice in the last three years under former coach Jose Mourinho but victory at Anfield in the first leg tonight will give them a real chance of avenging those defeats.

The Chelsea captain is desperate to wipe away the memories once and for all by leading Avram Grant’s side into the final for the first time.

Terry said: “We have lost to Liverpool on the two previous occasions and that burning feeling is something that will never go away, but one thing that will ease it is to go on and reach the final and lift the trophy.

“That trophy is something I want to get my hands on as Chelsea captain and for the club to go down in history.

“We have probably been favourites going into these games in the past. Liverpool are going very well in the Champions League but we have got the squad of players and it is about what we do.

“It is not so much putting the record straight as what we can go on and achieve. For the club it is a massive chance to make history and for the players and the manager as well.

“It is about how we take this opportunity. We don’t look back over the previous two games. There is no point in doing that.

“We have had our ups and downs over the course of the season, we’ve had players injured and not ready and for me that has shown in the character of the whole squad, not just in the starting XI.

“We have proved that whatever team is on the pitch, we have enough strength, character and big players to go on and win.”

Chelsea’s preparations have been blighted by speculation some of the squad are not entirely happy with Grant’s managerial style but Terry emphatically disputes the suggestion.

“We are totally behind the manager,” confirmed Terry. “It is bizarre because since Avram took over, one thing we’ve done is that if any players are unhappy or have a problem, we’ve all got together, as you need to do, and spoken our minds.

“We speak openly and things are sorted out there and then within the space of 10 minutes. There are no people walking out the door and talking behind each other’s backs.

“So all these suggestions are quite laughable actually. We get in a room, we talk and we solve the problems.

“I wasn’t happy after the Fenerbahce game. One reason was because we are now missing Michael Essien, who got booked. The second reason was because we didn’t shut the game out as I would have liked.

“I was very frustrated. But we spoke about it and it was sorted. Ten minutes after the game, and the next day at training, it was totally fine.”

It will be the third time in four years the two teams have met at this stage of the competition but the previous two meetings were far from memorable in terms of attacking football.

The tactical strengths of Mourinho and Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez tended to cancel each other out, but Chelsea are promising to go into tomorrow’s game with an attacking style.

“We are coming here to win the game, we are not coming here to shut up shop,” boasted Terry. “We are coming here to score goals and put the pressure right on Liverpool.

“We do mean business. All season long we’ve shown great strength in depth in the squad with the players who have come in and kept us alive in the Champions and Barclays Leagues.”

Coach Grant preferred to dwell on the chance to make club history rather than their past failures at the same stage.

“We can make history and we will concentrate on this and not about anything else,” said Grant.

“We lost here twice but that is history and now we can create it. That is what is important.

“When you have an opportunity to make history for this club it is important to look at this game and the next one. Liverpool is a very good team but we also have a good team.

“We have come a long way since we drew against Rosenborg and now we can create history and this makes me excited.”