Pep's faith in youngsters has worked for City, feels Terry

KOLKATA: Manchester City are one step away from winning one of the biggest titles that has eluded them so far, as they take on Chelsea in the final of the Champions League in Porto on Saturday.
This is by far City's best performance in the prestigious tournament where they have failed to get past the quarterfinal hurdle in their previous attempts and former City player Terry Phelan feels momentum is the key to City's successful run in the Champions League this time around.
"Pep (Guardiola) has got a whole set of world class players and that gives him the luxury to chop and change. City's domination in the EPL was absolutely fantastic. It gave them a continuity and that momentum they carried in other tournaments.
"Yes, you do need a little bit of luck in the Champions League. But, the big win against PSG just showed it's all about the attitude of the players. Their drive, their passion," said Terry during an email interview.
Though City lost many stalwarts like Yaya Toure, Vincent Kompany and David Silva, yet Guardiola managed to work through this transitional phase brilliantly, helping upcoming players like Phil Foden, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo to take charge.
Talking about Guardiola's role behind the rise of these young guns, Terry mentioned, "Pep gives them the courage to go out there and perform. That's the sign of a good manager...giving the young lads courage. Playing in a team of Man City's stature is an awful lot of achievement at this young age. Pep kept them grounded and level headed. Foden is great, Dias has been fantastic. John Stones is a real find for Man City."
Guardiola's side lost their last two matches against Chelsea, but Terry was not keen to delve too much into the past. "I don't think these previous losses matter. What matters is how they perform on the night of the final. City made a lot of changes in the FA semifinal against Chelsea. Again Pep didn't field his strongest side in the Premier League match, which they lost 1-2 against the Blues.
"(Thomas) Tuchel is a tactical genius. He is rock solid with his formation. But Manchester will be a different opponent from the last two games. I think it will be a wonderful final with two English clubs playing in it," quipped Terry, who made 104 appearances for Manchester City.