Chelsea captain John Terry has hailed his boss Blues boss Jose Mourinho as the ultimate man manager, after revealing some of the methods he uses to motivate his players.
Mourinho's side are favourites to add the Premier League title to the Capital One Cup success they enjoyed at Wembley earlier this month, with Terry suggesting the Portuguese tactician masterminding their success picks his moment to raise his voice his players in anger.
"Surprisingly, there will be times where you've won games 3-0 and he lets rip," Terry is quoted in the Evening Standard. "He keeps you on your toes. He gets the balance perfectly right.
"The players fully respect him and know he is the right man for us. He is still hungry and still wants to win. He's a born winner. There has been no change from before and when he's come back."
Meanwhile, Terry has moved to bolster a deflated mood around the Stamford Bridge club by insisting they are still on course to enjoy a memorable season.
An away goals defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the last-16 of the Champions League has taken the momentum out of a Chelsea campaign that has already see the Blues win one major trophy and Terry was quick to point out that there is much to look forward to despite the European disappointments.
"If someone had said start at the start of the season we'd have the Capital One Cup in our pockets and be where we are in the League, the players would have bitten his hand off," Terry said.
"We are top of the League, with a game in hand and for a reason -- we have been the best side so far. We must maintain that.
"It isn't an unassailable lead in the Premier League. We are in a comfortable position at the moment and at the same time you don't want other clubs to narrow that gap and get any closer to us because we have lost that lead earlier on in the season.
"We have to get back to basics, have those fundamentals of hard work-rate, moving the ball quicker, fundamentals that got us to where we are."
Terry also confirmed that he expects to remain at Chelsea for another year at least, with discussions over a new contract not a priority for the 34-year-old centre-back.
"There has been a load of talk about me and the club speaking. It will happen, we both know it will happen," he added. "We are relaxed about it. I trust the club, they trust me. I'm sure things will happen soon."