Tough night for JT’s heir Christensen
WHO now remembers John Terry’s early appearances for Chelsea in European competition?
How he fared against more experienced opponents with just a few Premier League appearances to his name? How nervous he must have felt despite all that in-built bravado that took him one kick away from deciding a Champions League final.
Now there is another youngster attempting the same journey, playing in the same position. Andreas Christensen hails from Lillerod in Denmark rather than Barking and may not appreciate any comparison with the Chelsea’s former leader, who just happened to be turning out at Preston for Aston Villa last night.
But on the same path he most surely is.
And already he has discovered how tough it is going to be. It was his error that gifted Lionel Messi his long-awaited first goal against Chelsea.
The 21-year-old supplanted Gary Cahill for the visit of Messi and Luis Suarez in a team whose manager has already decided he can do without David Luiz, who was once the globe’s most costly defender.
And like Terry and so few between, he has come through the ranks at a club notorious for failing to promote young talent.
But was Christensen nervous? You bet he was – and it showed.
An early interception was clumsy but nothing on an attempted pass across his own box that went out for a corner. Yet the young Dane grew into the game steadily.
Last season he had been allowed a dress rehearsal, of sorts. Chelsea youngsters inevitably get loaned out, often to oblivion, but a two-season spell at Borussia Monchengladbach was a big indication that he was being earmarked for profitable use.
Twice he played against Barcelona in the Champions League last season, a 2-1 loss at home and then a 4-0 mauling at the Nou Camp. That represented a steep learning curve but this was the test that mattered against opponents Chelsea had somehow managed to get past in the 2012 semi-final when Terry was sent off before half-time.
Messi and Suarez had been repelled in the first half with zero goals upon the half-time whistle proof of a job half done by Christensen and Co.
The second half began with a foot to halt Messi and a shepherding of Suarez away from goal. The hour mark came and went without a Barca goal and Willian’s fine strike at the other end quickly followed.
Then came the moment he will be desperate to forget, the reckless ball across his own box meant for Cesc Fabregas but succeeding only in allowing Andres Iniesta to set up Messi for a needless equaliser.
If JC is to become the new JT then he will have to recover from setbacks like this.