Carlo hails captain Terry

Chelsea boss happy with skipper's performance against Burnley

Last updated: 31st January 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

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Carlo Ancelotti insisted the Chelsea captaincy was not an issue following the 2-1 victory over Burnley.

Newspaper allegations about John Terry's private life meant the spotlight was firmly on the defender at Turf Moor.

He responded by scoring the winning goal to help the Blues move four points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Ancelotti had no doubts about selecting Terry against the Clarets and does not see why he would consider handing the armband to someone else.

"There is no discussion about this (the captaincy). I don't know why you ask me this. The players will never lose their trust in him," said the manager.

"It was a good moment for Terry on the pitch today. But he also played well against Birmingham in midweek.

"I did not speak with him. It wasn't necessary because he did well in training yesterday. It was not in my mind he wouldn't play.

"I do not want to talk about his personal life. He is doing his job very well, every day, every training session. For this (reason) I am not worried."

Professional

Ancelotti, however, refused to discuss whether Terry should remain skipper of the national team.

"I am manager of Chelsea and that is my focus, not England " he said.

Ancelotti insists that Terry is helping improve the club's profile, not tarnishing it.

He said: "The professionalism of John Terry improves the image of the club. I am a manager and only want to speak about his work. He is a fantastic professional.

"All the club, the players, management and staff are supporting him and his family at this time."

Difficult game

Ancelotti was happy to put some daylight between Chelsea and Manchester United but accepted Burnley had tested his side.

He said: "It was a difficult game, especially in the second half. We were not able to play the way we liked and they equalised.

"We then put more pressure on them and deserved to win. We are four points ahead of Manchester United and that is good."

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