Siasia Raps: Chelsea Have Blunted Obi Mikel Career

[the wes 7,212]

Nigeria U23 coach Samson Siasia says John Obi Mikel's career has stalled at Chelsea. In the 2005 World Youth Championships in Holland, Mikel and Barcelona's Argentine Lionel Messi were regarded as the tournament's biggest stars.

"You cannot compare Mikel with Lionel Messi anymore. Messi has gone very far ahead of Mikel because Mourinho changed Mikel's game by converting him from an offensive player to a defensive one," Siasia told the Daily Sun.

"Mikel is no more as creative as he used to be. These days, he gets the ball and goes backwards instead of forward. He has not been as productive as he used to be.

"The Mikel I trained for the WYC in Holland was an offensive midfielder. He was very good and outstanding at the Championship. He could pass the ball to strikers, create chances and shoot at goal. These days, you can count how many times Mikel shoots at goal when he is playing in the Premiership.

"That's why Messi is doing better than him today. From the best player at the Junior World Cup, Messi has graduated to become the world's second best player."

Former Nigeria World Cup captain Siasia also said: "(Jose) Mourinho is a different coach. He had other good players in the midfield like Frank Lampard, who can score goals even from a distance. That's why he had to play Mikel as a defensive midfielder. But I still consider him as an offensive player. He can run all day on the pitch. He played his heart out as an offensive player in Holland."

[bombayblue™ 55]

jose might have seen more potential in him as a defensive mid with his strong physique and other footballing qualities to prefer that role over the offensive role..

[kbchel 2]

the only attacking midfelder mikel's size is....ballack....

thats all

[Elliott 7]

Badboys gonna have a field day on this one.

I doubt Mikel was ever going to be as explosive as Messi, he just doesn't have the pace or the ball skills, but he's still a very very good player on his day.

[Laylabelle 9,292]

He's still young etc still time to develop.Just needs to stop the stupid tackles!

I dont think we've blunted him to much....

[BlueLion. 21,491]

You can't compare Messi and Mikel, they're completely different players completely. Mikel doesn't have the speed to be an advanced playmaker. His physique is built for a defensive minded chappy.

[EskWeston 696]

I would agree that we havn't seen enough of Mikel's attacking abilty since he has been here.... however, i don't think i can see him as a playmaker for us ever, but i think he can be played further forward more still at times....

[Fulham Broadway 16,387]

Bit of a stupid argument really, hes good at what he does.

Another example of us ruining football. Its Joses fault.

[EskWeston 696]

I am sure that the defensive midfield role is the best one for him to be honest... I always thought that playing him there would be part of his training to make him the complete midfielder, i never thought that the holding role would be his long term role.

I have never seen Mikel play the attacking midfield role properly so it is hard to know how he would do there for us....

[Elliott 7]

I don't think he has the range of passing to be an attacking midfielder, but it may just be that he has been instructed to keep it simple so we don't get to see it?

[Badboy 1,526]

I am noty slagging jose of but thats the difference between him and fergie. Fergie will buy

a top quality young player like anderson, and just say play you game son mourinho will

try to shape you into his system.