Reading 2-2 Chelsea: I have no say in Chelsea transfers insists captain John Terry
Published 00:00 03/08/09 By
Chelsea skipper John Terry wants to put the record straight. He wants everyone to know he is not the man who decides which players the club will sign.
Terry had just seen a fullstrength Blues side grab a late draw against the Royals and was asked whether new faces were needed if they were to win trophies this season "I want to clear something up," he said. "I'm a player and it's the manager and board who make those decisions.
"The only thing I spoke about with the club was it was important people like Didier and Ashley Cole, whose contracts are up now, stay with us. It was important to me that we build around the current squad and it was right for them to stay.
"Now people are saying I'm asking for Andrea Pirlo to be signed and I'm asking for this player or that player to be signed. I promise you I never get involved in any players brought in or going.
"What I know 100 per cent is I'm a player and I want to concentrate on that and leave it to the manager and board to make the signings."
Terry admitted Chelsea were "given a bit of a shock" by a Reading side under new manager Brendan Rodgers. "To be 2-0 down at half-time was a kick up the backside," he said.
"We were fit and sharp and then to be losing was disappointing so we all livened each other up. Our determination paid off in the end. In the last five minutes we dug in and got the two late goals."
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti admitted: "In the first-half we played too slowly and Reading did some good defensive work. We've been concentrating on strengthening work. In English football you have to be strong for 90 minutes. Now the team's in good condition. I don't expect any new signings before next Sunday's game."
One man on the verge of making a signing is Rodgers.
"I hope to have a deal for a new centre-half completed in the next 48 hours," he said.
Rodgers learned his trade under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea and his youthful side impressed, with six former Academy players involved.
Reading's goals came from Jimmy Kebe after 38 minutes and a Scott Davies freekick on the stroke of half-time.
Salomon Kalou struck for Chelsea in the last minute of normal time. In the second minute of injury time Florent Malouda's free-kick appeared to go in off the head of Alex Pearce.

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