The King Power Club have experienced a litany of head and assistant coaches since the disappointing and ultimately tragic last season under our most successful manager, Brendan Rodgers. During the discord, Dean Smith and John Terry were recruited to attempt an steer the Foxes away from relegation: despite some good performances, they were unable to salvage the campaign.
The former England international and Chelsea star, and former assistant manager at Leicester City, has candidly shared his struggles in finding a new leading role since leaving the King Power in 2023. Before diving into what this means for his career, let’s take a moment to evaluate his impact in the East Midlands and consider what it might mean for his future opportunities.
John Terry's time at Leicester City
Does 'JT' deserve a leading role? This is perhaps the most important aspect to evaluate whether or not the lack of job offers is a realistic representation of the impact Terry is believed to have, or if perhaps clubs are treating the big-name player a little too harshly.
At Leicester, Dean Smith described the work that Terry did as vital to the work the coaches (including Craig Shakespeare) were doing in rebuilding confidence, motivating talents, and readjusting tactics in defence and transition. These two key areas were the most important. We know that Terry was integral to this and used in-depth video analysis in sessions with individual players and the backline to help them understand their positions, roles, and expectations more clearly.
If we delve a little into the numbers, there was a marked improvement in some areas of the Foxes' game. When comparing the final five Rodgers fixtures and the first five Smith-Terry-Shakespeare games, we see the impact the trio had on improving the performances, as well as obviously the direct impact Terry made.
1.6 goals were conceded per Rodgers' final games, versus a slight upward tick to 2.4 conceded per game, thanks to an anomalous result in the Fulham 3-5 routing of Leicester City. Regardless, we saw an 11% reduction in shots on target faced, while also increasing touches in the opposition box, and of course, significantly, goals. Specifically, nine goals scored versus just three.
This reduction in shots on target faced, mixed with better transitional organisation and a renewed gusto on the attack, meant the East Midlands outfit ended up with one win and an extra draw versus what Rodgers had accomplished. Five points instead of one. Terry clearly made an impact in tactical organisation and player motivation. Ultimately, it was not enough to stave off relegation, but the groundwork was there to warrant John Terry a major role.
Exasperated and frustrated
The former assistant manager left Leicester City and took on a part-time role at Chelsea as an academy coach - a club he had fantasised about one day managing - only to eventually depart. Again, despite the status as a superstar and reportedly crucial work under Dean Smith at both Aston Villa and Leicester, John Terry did not get any job offers.
"...you learn enough to go into management... The level I played at and the managers I played under. But it doesn't give you the right you go into management... There's a lot more that goes into the coaching side of it. So I went away and learnt my trade... I think I'd be a really good number one, I enjoyed the coaching side of it. "John Terry
The former Chelsea player clearly believes in himself as a coach. To be honest, playing for as long as he did, captaining sides, motivating dressing rooms, and of course working under the successful management of Dean Smith at Aston Villa, and a last-ditch attempt at Leicester, illustrates that the former AM does have a good understanding of what it takes.
"I got great experience under Dean Smith... As an assistant coach in the Premier League and the experience I've had as a player and [captain], I thought that would be enough... I'm not saying a job in the Premier League or the Championship - but a job at League One level... I didn't even get a sniff. I had interviews and it was just 'you have no experience'"John Terry
Especially after his attempts at the King Power, with the big-name status and all the experiences Terry has had over the many years, it is entirely fair to legitimately question what possible experience the English defender would have needed to get those jobs. We saw Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, and even Ole Gunnar Solskjær get opportunities at lower and then higher levels despite little experience.
If anything, John Terry has more productive experience, was a great player in his day, and remains well respected for his time at both Aston Villa and Leicester. The former Fox definitely deserves an opportunity, although whether he might retire into punditry, golf, and family life instead of continuing to chase the managerial role is yet to be seen.
"When I see some people managing today, it baffles me, it really does... In terms of 'am I frustrated', yes, absolutely, because I have a lot of good attributes to be a really good coach or a really good manager"John Terry
Leicester City under Marti Cifuentes are facing a similar dire situation to what the last-ditch trio had to face in the twilight of that disastrous season: a poorly organised defensive backline, difficult to motivate & maintain motivation, and a weakness in both creativity, possession, and transition.
Perhaps the Spaniard should look at what John Terry & Co. did to improve our attacking output and reduce shots against us. Or, perhaps a major readjustment of players is in order. If you are interested in evaluations of our storied past, try reading this article about our five picks for the best players the Foxes almost signed, but never did.