Aston Villa fans have been quick to mock bitter rivals Birmingham City after they beat them to the signing of John Terry.
Chelsea legend Terry has signed a one-year deal at Villa Park with the express intention of helping Steve Bruce’s side win promotion back to the top flight.
And in doing so they beat their arch rivals Birmingham to his coveted signature, much to the chagrin of Blues boss Harry Redknapp.
Redknapp admitted on talkSPORT he perhaps did not push hard enough when going after the 36-year-old’s signature.
“I probably take the blame myself,” Redknapp told talkSPORT.
“I didn’t really chase after John. We made him a great offer but in the back of my mind I always had this thought about the budget and players’ wages. But he is a top player and he is a big signing for Villa for sure.”
Chelsea’s John Terry in tears
While Redknapp was busy publicly flogging himself for failing to land Terry, Villa fans were mercilessly teasing their rivals at work, in football forums and on social media.
But are Brum set to have the last laugh?
Ask anyone at West Ham’s 2-1 EFL Cup victory over Chelsea last October and the answer will be a resounding ‘Yes’.
Now West Ham fans don’t need much of an excuse to have a pop at Terry. After all he is a boyhood West Ham fan from a family of West Ham fans who left West Ham’s Academy to join Chelsea at the age of 14.
There has been no love lost since and the Hammers faithful and Terry have often engaged in slanging matches over the years.
It gave many of those fans great pleasure during that cup win last season to watch their powerful pacy winger Michail Antonio – who let’s not forget was forged in the steel of the Championship – effectively end Terry’s career as we knew it.
The main talking point from that game was Antonio’s performance up against Terry.
The ex England captain had rarely featured under new boss Antonio Conte until that game – and it says everything that he did not play again until the league was all but won and the sentiment kicked in at the end of the campaign.
The pacy forward was deployed as a lone striker against the Blues and dominated the former Hammers youth product throughout.
At times it was actually hard to watch.
West Ham United’s Michail Antonio destroyed John Terry last season
Terry was taken apart as Antonio ran him into the ground for 90 minutes as he looked a shadow of his former self being turned, outpaced, outmuscled, outfought and out-thought by the former Tooting and Mitcham man.
Brief cameos since have also exposed the fact that time has caught up with Terry none more so than the nervy 4-3 win over Watford at Stamford Bridge back in May where he made a number of blunders.
If Terry was joining Villa as a coach – or two years ago – then it would have been a coup.
Now all he brings is a name and Birmingham fans could well be having the last laugh on this one.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
