Chelsea look set for a long reign

Soccer/ English FA Premiership: John Terry levered himself through the hatch on the roof of the team bus and videoed the Chelsea fans who were gathered in front of the Reebok Stadium on Saturday evening.

He was revelling in an old-fashioned moment, but there have never been Premiership winners like this before. The captain and his team-mates were joyous yet far from fulfilled.

"The main thing is to build on what we've done this year," Terry remarked. Though clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool have each held English football in their grip in modern times, control arose naturally from the emerging talents of managers and players.

Chelsea, on the other hand, are just the kind of overbearing business that would list world domination in their mission statement. With Roman Abramovich out of pocket by over £400 million so far in his venture, constant triumph is virtually a contractual obligation for the footballers he employs.

Terry, conscious of the unexplored potential in a young and accomplished squad, would insist on the requirement being written into the terms of employment in any case. The defining restlessness of Chelsea will be intensified by the breakthrough honour of the Premiership.

"Nobody is going to have an easy ride with me just because they won some titles," said Jose Mourinho.

That remark was actually made two years ago when Porto claimed their first silverware under him but the Chelsea manager will be at least as hawkish with his current squad.

Those who were infatuated with their new-found fame at Porto were his targets in 2003 and the midfielder Maniche was substituted 20 minutes into a pre-season friendly for not responding fast enough to Mourinho's touchline criticisms.

There will now be consolidation and expansion at Chelsea. Mourinho is ready to agree a new contract even if it might not quite have the full, dynastic duration contemplated by the chief executive. "We talked about Jose being here for 10 years when he first came," said Peter Kenyon. "We told him we want him to stay that long."

It is understood that the Chelsea shopping list comprises a left-back, a midfielder and a prestige forward. Udinese's Czech international Marek Jankulovski is the latest person to be mooted for the full-back berth. Claims that the manager has lost interest in Steven Gerrard are being met with suspicion. It is hard to see how his regard for the Liverpool captain can have vanished when, last summer, the midfielder's decision not to move to London was one of those rare events that really did take the wind out of Mourinho's sails.

All clubs aim to build from a position of strength and when, for example, Alex Ferguson had won his first English league title in 1993 he completed the brilliant coup of signing Roy Keane to replace a fading Bryan Robson.

With their unequalled means, though, Chelsea are very different from a Manchester United presently harassed by Malcolm Glazer. Abramovich has a reach that will surely scoop up the finest players and the greatest prizes for years to come.

Guardian Service