"Man Up" orders Terry

by David Tails Tue 22 Feb 2011, 9:25 am

Chelsea captain John Terry has insisted the players remain completely behind under-fire manager Carlo Ancelotti and has ordered them to "man up".

The Blues face Copenhagen in Tuesday's last-16 Champions League tie with the competition being the only realistic chance they have of winning silverware.

"It's been difficult because at times we have shown our quality," Terry said.

"But we are where we are. We have to man up a bit as a group of players and take responsibility."

Following their FA Cup exit and a slide to fifth in the Premier League table, Chelsea will play the Danish league leaders with owner Roman Abramovich seeking his first European trophy since he bought the club in 2003.

However, the Blues have a challenge to qualify for next season's competition.

They are two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, while third-placed Manchester City are four points better off than Chelsea.

And Terry agreed with midfielder Frank Lampard that not qualifying for the competition next season would be a disaster.

"That's obviously the worst thing to think about, looking at Spurs and City," he added. "They're playing well and picking up points at a crucial time.

"It would be disastrous for the football club if we don't qualify for the Champions League. It's even hard to get my head around it now."

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So is that all it is? Do Chelsea just needs to "Man Up" or are there deeper underlying problems that are causing the recent malaise?