AVB hails Terry, talks up title bid

AVB hails Terry, talks up title bid

 Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas hailed John Terry for his performance and character amidst verbal abuse from Tottenham fans in the 1-1 draw on Thursday.

Tottenham 1-1 Chelsea

 

The Blues captain, playing his first game since learning that he would be charged for his alleged racist comments towards Anton Ferdinand, was barracked with abusive chants by the home crowd throughout the match.
But it did not appear to affect the 31-year-old as he went on to produce a valiant display, leading his side to a point after Daniel Sturridge cancelled out a eighth-minute Emmanuel Adebayor opener.
Speaking after the match, Villas-Boas praised the defender for his strong character and performance amidst the difficult situation.
"Since the situation he has improved. He has grown in terms of performance," he was quoted as saying in The Guardian newspaper.
"He's a reference point for this team. It shows his character and strength and personality - his effort for the collective is extraordinary."
"We speak all the time. What happened, his level of performance increased. His commitment and concentration increased as well. His performances have increased since the incident happened.
"His commitment, quality and talent are never in doubt. He's completely focused to the cause of this football club."
The draw did both title hopefuls little favour, with Chelsea now 11 points adrift of leaders Manchester City in fourth.
But when asked if his side are still in the title race, the Portuguese coach believes so.
"I think so. If we take the six points from the home fixtures, against Fulham [on Boxing Day] - a team that has revolted from this last result against United, and another emotional derby - and Aston Villa [on New Year's Eve], as we expect, we are pretty much in it," he was quoted as saying in The Guardian newspaper.
"We came to Tottenham, a side who are title challengers, so it's a good point to get. We've been in worse situations before and recovered to seven points. I'm sure we can shorten the distance."
"Today [Thursday] showed our character, personality, excellent levels of resilience and adaptation to circumstances.
"Our passing game exploded today to wonderful levels.
"It's fantastic to watch this team play when they find each other in possession as they did and create opportunities. It's remarkable, outstanding.
"It should have been a Chelsea win."
Chelsea host Fulham next on 26 December.