Chelsea’s supporters were still being held high inside the Dragao Stadium when John Terry emerged from the tunnel to perform a set of sprints and exercises.
Most of those who had witnessed Porto’s 2-1 win in the Champions League on Tuesday had filed out happily into the night.
Those who had made the trip from London rose to greet Terry and launched into a chorus of: ‘We want our captain back.’
The 34-year-old responded with the usual display of mutual appreciation, except this time there was an extra resonance. Terry had been an unused substitute in Porto, as he has been for four of the last five games.
Jose Mourinho, who was told last night he will face no FA action for his touchline outburst at Eva Carneiro, appears certain the team are better off without their captain as well as their doctor.
That decision would be easier for fans to understand if Chelsea were winning or, at least, defending well.
In Porto, they were far from solid at the back and Rio Ferdinand — certainly not a member of the Terry Fan Club — admitted on BT Sport that the champions were missing his leadership, organisation and composure.
Mourinho has spoken often since the start of the season about the need for pace in central defence.
Kurt Zouma, selected to provide it, is making errors of judgment, as can be expected from a 20-year-old centre-half who is just learning to handle some of the world’s best strikers, and vulnerabilities at the back are making the team anxious.
Mourinho is still dealing with the club’s failure to supply him with an elite centre half when his list of summer transfer targets, submitted in April, had prioritised a central defender.
Rafael Varane and Miranda were his preferred options, but Varane could not be prised from Real Madrid and Miranda joined Inter Milan from Atletico Madrid.
Chelsea wasted much time and energy in the fruitless pursuit of John Stones, before a late unsuccessful attempt to hijack Aymen Abdennour’s move from Monaco to Valencia, and to sign Marquinhos from Paris St-Germain.
Two months into the campaign and Mourinho has made little attempt to hide his dissatisfaction with the central defenders at his disposal. It is sure to exacerbate the undercurrent of friction between him and technical director Michael Emenalo.
Issues such as the club’s post-season tour to Thailand and Australia, the manager’s decision to return a week later for pre- season training and the Carneiro incident have not helped.
Equally bewildering for Chelsea supporters has been the sight of Branislav Ivanovic leading out the team in Terry’s absence.
Ivanovic has suffered a drastic form dip this year and is understood to be one of the six players Mourinho privately criticised for lacking attitude and desire after the 2-2 draw at Newcastle.
The Chelsea boss aired some of his frustrations publicly, claiming some of his team were resting on the laurels of last season. In Oporto on Tuesday, however, Ivanovic led the team, while others were axed.
Oscar, Loic Remy and Radamel Falcao were left behind in London despite being fit, while Eden Hazard and Nemanja Matic joined Terry on the bench.
Hazard and Matic are likely to return against Southampton on Saturday and Falcao could be given a rare chance to start at centre forward.
The shock selection in Porto, designed to jolt minds back to the job, sparked concerns inside the dressing room that certain players had been scapegoated, while others escaped Mourinho’s wrath.
Ivanovic has started all but one of Chelsea’s games this season, missing the Champions League tie against Maccabi Tel Aviv, and yet is in poor form and in dispute with the club over his contract.
His deal expires at the end of the season and he has refused the one-year extension on the table.
Terry has stayed silent, determined not to be the one who rocks the boat, but friends are rounding in support.
Jason Cundy, a former Chelsea defender turned radio presenter, claimed the captain had been ‘unfairly treated’.
Chelsea fans are not happy with Terry’s exile, which is starting to shape up like a power struggle between the dressing room’s two alpha males.
After the defeat in Porto, Diego Costa stressed the need for everyone to pull together.
‘It is not a good moment,’ said Costa. ‘We were lacking concentration at key moments in the game. We must do more. We have a good squad with a great deal of quality. We have maybe lost some confidence in three or four games.
‘The manager knows the quality of his team. He knows what we can do. It is the responsibility of all of us. We have to improve our character and confidence.
‘To come out of this we need to be all together, and for everyone to give a little more. We have the players to get out of this easily.’
Costa will miss the clash with Southampton as he completes the three-match ban imposed for his violent conduct during the game against Arsenal.– Daily Mail