Chelsea: John Terry makes Aston Villa another ideal loan destination

John Terry had barely a day to enjoy retirement before taking his first job as a coach, joining the new leadership at Aston Villa as an assistant to Dean Smith. Like Derby County, Chelsea should take advantage of their connections in the Championship for their top loanees.

Raise your hand if, at any point before last week, you thought that Derby County vs. Aston Villa would be appointment viewing. The November 10 fixture will now be black and white and claret and Blue all over as Frank Lampard, Jody Morris and John Terry face each other from the respective touchlines in their first coaching roles. Executing their strategies and commands will be Chelsea loanees Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham.

Having two club legends installed in the Championship is a boon to Chelsea. Until these clubs return to the Premier League, Chelsea should send them as many loanees as possible to learn from Lampard and Terry. This will not only prepare the players to someday play under Lampard and / or Terry at Chelsea, but will ensure they loanees receive the proper attention and playing time. There is little risk of either Chelsea legend overlooking a player entrusted to them from Stamford Bridge.

Derby County and Aston Villa are both solidly mid-table 12 games into the Championship season. Derby has a slightly greater hope of winning promotion, given that they handled their managerial turnover during the summer. Either or both could land in a promotion playoff spot, but it is highly unlikely both will go up for next season.

This means Chelsea will have at least one destination for limitless loanees in 2019/20. If FIFA goes through with the rule to cap the number of loanees, the Blues will demand top loan clubs for their few permitted loanees.

They should aim to scatter them around the Premier League, as they did last year. But failing that, a loan with an ascendent Championship team under the guidance of Frank Lampard or John Terry is the next best option. With only eight players on loan (per the proposed FIFA rules) and these two coaches one tier below, Chelsea may no longer need Vitesse to be Chelsea B.

Lampard has had an immediate impact on Mason Mount. Mount leads the team with five goals and an assist in the Championship and the League Cup, and has the most key passes. He is with England’s senior squad for the first time this week, and could make his senior debut in the Nations League.

It obviously helps that Mount plays Lampard’s position in much the same way. Lampard’s work with Fikayo Tomori has been much less obvious. But Tomori leads Derby in tackles and clearances, and is second in interceptions.

Terry will be coaching Tammy Abraham from the other side of the ball, teaching the young striker how to defeat centre-backs like he himself once was. Just as Derby became the ideal loan destination for Chelsea’s top midfielder prospect, Aston Villa can be the same for the Blues’ up-and-coming defenders.

Chelsea’s loan strategy was starting to become coherent and fruitful in 2016 and 2017. But in the 338 days since the club last had a technical director, young players have been shuffled off somewhat haphazardly. The FIFA restrictions are a bad idea for a range of reasons, but they may force Chelsea to give much more thought to who they keep in the system and, therefore, what they do with those players.

Having John Terry and Frank Lampard in the Championship is like a paint-by-numbers kit for whoever is making such decisions around Stamford Bridge. Send the best-rated youth to learn from the legends, and before long the legends will take their rightful posts at Chelsea and have the young players ready to go.