Chelsea and John Terry: Public standoff a worrying time. He has earned the right to finish how he wants.

Yesterday afternoon Chelsea fans heard the news that the majority of us wanted to hear- "John Terry has been offered a one-year contract" and with it a sense of relief. However, there seems to be more than meets the eye and it's not as straight forward as many of us would like!

I posted the other day on here that Terry who met with Chelsea on Thursday, would be told that his time at the club is up despite plenty of calls from the Chelsea fans to sign him up. Everything seemed to be heading towards that decision being made and if we are honest, ALL of us expected the announcement to be made that would have been different to the one we currently focus on now.

Respected Sunday Times Journalist Duncan Castles took to social media to state on Thursday ahead of JT's meeting that Antonio Conte has made his intentions with John Terry clear as below:

Antonio Conte wants to keep John Terry at Chelsea. If the club does not renew contract, it will do so against their manager's wishes. #CFC

— Duncan Castles (@DuncanCastles) 12 May 2016

Conte wants Terry to stay at Chelsea and any other decision made by the club would be against HIS wishes. Surely the club would have to listen to the new manager? Surely they wouldn't go against his wishes before he even steps foot into the club for the first time as manager?

So to the new contract offer. As Guus Hiddink took his seat for the pre-match press conference, it was Chelsea's Press Officer who made the announcement first. He said:

'Marina Granovskaia and Bruce Buck met with John and his agent this week and offered him a one-year contract extension.

'Obviously coming so late in the season this is a big decision for John and his family, and it is something that they are now considering.'

The common reaction to the news amongst Chelsea fans on social media was "Why would he not agree to it at the time? What's there to think about?" Just a few hours later, John Terry took to his social media account and revealed more to what has been offered :

Thanks to everyone for the kind wishes. The contract extension the club has offered me is a different role and I hope everyone will understand I want to take the time to consider it carefully before making a decision.

A photo posted by John Terry (@johnterry.26) on May 13, 2016 at 11:17am PDT

It's obvious the club have had little choice but to offer a new deal based on the ongoing supporter reaction AND the wishes of Antonio Conte. None of us expect John Terry to be offered the same terms he was on before (reportedly £150,000 per week). However, what is this different role they are talking about? Is it a player coach role, a role within the Academy or a playing contract stating that he will not be considered on a regular basis for the first team? We will find out in the coming days.

Embed from Getty Images

What I will say is that there seems to be a breakdown between the player and the club because we seeing this issue being played out in public which is scandalous really. We have to believe that the club took exception to Terry back in January when he announced in a post-match interview that there will be no new contract. We all know that Chelsea like to keep their business very private and nothing is ever announced until a deal is done, even with player contracts.

People are asking the question as to why Chelsea have now done the same and announced the contract offer in public? It's simple, it's become a very public argument which is in danger of escalating here which is something none of us want. This tit-for-tat scenario isn't good and is on the verge of being embarrassing for all of us. Chelsea reacted to JT's public announcement by doing the same and painting a very public picture that everything is good and a new deal is offered but JT's response above has left a sour taste.

Why should John Terry be treated as he is. He has been here for over 20 years and embodies everything there is about Chelsea. He is the best Premier League defender of all time, the highest scoring Premier League defender of all time, he is the most successful Captain in our history and truly deserves being called a Legend.

People come and go and the club will always remain, I understand that. However, as Guus Hiddink said, John Terry should be cherished forever at this club and it seems as though we are about to make the same mistakes we did with Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole.

Whatever happens, I hope it's over with as quickly as possible before it gets out of control. Let's hope the contract he has been offered includes a playing capacity because if not, he will leave the club as others have before him to finish his career.

John Terry has earned the right for respect from this club and the right to finish his playing career as he wishes to do so, anything other than that is a disgrace.