SOCCER/UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:JOHN TERRY has launched a scathing attack on the approach and attitude which contributed to Chelsea's Champions League 3-1 defeat by Roma on Tuesday, warning his team-mates they will "get nowhere near the European Cup final" if they perform as poorly in future.
The Premier League leaders conceded three goals and lost for only the third time in four years against a team languishing fourth bottom in Serie A, whose confidence had been sapped by five successive defeats in all competitions.
Terry suggested his men had been complacent in anticipation of an easy victory, only to see their bright opening eroded by three Roma goals before the hour mark. The result left Chelsea without an away win in Europe in almost a year, and with a lead in Group A cut to one point.
"It was a terrible night for us," said Terry, who also saw his team-mate Deco dismissed with nine minutes left for a second bookable offence. "The most disappointing thing was that we didn't show the fight after going one and then two down to get back into the game.
" We sort of strolled in, thinking we were better than them, when clearly we're not. We didn't get going. Maybe that's a kick up the backside we all needed.
"We have the determination to get back to a European Cup final, but if we're going to perform like that we will get nowhere near. That's the simple fact. That remains the big target and that's why we're in this competition - to come back to Rome in May. But, based on Tuesday's performance, we've got no chance."
Management and players conducted a postmortem in the dressingroom into the uncharacteristically sloppy defending which proved so costly at the Olympic Stadium, with Chelsea perplexed at their inability to refocus once Roma's confidence had returned.
Chelsea must now travel to Bordeaux, without Deco, in three weeks' time and seek to end a winless away run in Europe that stretches back to their 4-0 success in Trondheim against Rosenborg last November.
Since then, they have failed to beat Olympiakos, Fenerbahce, Liverpool, Cluj and Roma on their travels, and did not prevail in last season's final against Manchester United in Moscow.
"We knew over the last couple of months they'd been struggling with results and performances and the pressure was on them and, for the first five minutes, you could see the tension in their team," added Terry.
"But we didn't get out of first gear, which is really disappointing. We gave them a chance early on and they got a lift from that.
"Of late we've been getting performances and results because we've been working hard for each other, and the movement's been there for each other, and we've been getting goals and destroying teams. But we went to Roma thinking we could do it individually, and you simply can't. We need to realise that.
"We had it out in the dressingroom. Afterwards, it's time for the manager to speak. It was just so disappointing. Everybody has seen how we've been playing, the fans and everybody in the country.
"We've been working, the movement has been great and we've been fighting for each other. First and foremost, when you go to a place like Rome, you need to fight and show more determination than them to win the game.
"Hopefully we can drive on from that and wipe it completely clean and then move on. The last time we conceded three was at Middlesbrough [in February 2006 under Jose Mourinho] and we went on a great run to win the league, and there needs to be the same response as we did then.
"We have to bounce back. That's what all the big teams and big sides do."
