🇳🇬 Mikel John Obi

[zolayes 14,489]

preconceptions or misconceptions will always defeat statistics .....

[KonohasOrangeFlash 2,607]

Are you seriously gonna make that conclusion just from that reply?!

Unless he is being sarcastic, the point he (Mikel) is trying to make is that Lampard does not help out defensively "No one will cover...".

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Unless he is being sarcastic, the point he (Mikel) is trying to make is that Lampard does not help out defensively "No one will cover...".

No, he isn't. The point Mikel is clearly making is the it's not the defensive midfielder's position to go forward. If the DM goes forward, it leaves a spot uncovered. He's explaining why defensive midfielders don't join the play, not making a specific criticism of Lampard. It's an absurd reading of a straightforward comment. (Also, It's absolutely not the job of the deep-lying midfielder to cover for runs made by the defensive midfielder because the defensive midfielder should not be making runs. Busquets might be the best defensive midfielder in the world right now and he has scored 3 goals in his career. Makalele is the greatest defensive midfielder Chelsea ever had and he scored 2 goals in 144 games in the league with us.)

[KonohasOrangeFlash 2,607]

No, he isn't. The point Mikel is clearly making is the it's not the defensive midfielder's position to go forward. If the DM goes forward, it leaves a spot uncovered. He's explaining why defensive midfielders don't join the play, not making a specific criticism of Lampard. It's an absurd reading of a straightforward comment.

No, it isn't. If he was really saying that why didn't he just say something like "I'm a defensive midfielder, it's not my job to score goals". He said "No one will cover" because it's true. He plays in the double pivots yet it seems he has to do all the defending. Lampard bombs up the pitch too often. I don't know how some cannot see the point he is making here.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

No, it isn't. If he was really saying that why didn't he just say something like "I'm a defensive midfielder, it's not my job to score goals". He said "No one will cover" because it's true. He plays in the double pivots yet it seems he has to do all the defending. Lampard bombs up the pitch too often. I don't know how some cannot see the point he is making here.

There many ways to say the same thing. He is clearly, very clearly explaining why he doesn't go forward more. In the 4-2-3-1, the defensive midfielder just doesn't go forward. He is clearly not blaming Lampard for him not being allowed to make runs. (For starters, Mikel has played 160 league games with Chelsea and only about 5-10 with Lampard so saying that he doesn't get forward because of Lampard would be idiotic).

I don't know why you think "double pivot" is one position. It isn't. There is a defensive midfielder and then a deep lying midfielder. They have different responsibilities. Lampard and Mikel are not playing the same position Lampard's job is to create and Mikel's job is to cover for defenders and to stop attacks. Busquets and Iniesta don't have the same responsibilities.

[KonohasOrangeFlash 2,607]

There many ways to say the same thing. He is clearly, very clearly explaining why he doesn't go forward more. In the 4-2-3-1, the defensive midfielder just doesn't go forward. He is clearly not blaming Lampard for him not being allowed to make runs. (For starters, Mikel has played 160 league games with Chelsea and only about 5-10 with Lampard so saying that he doesn't get forward because of Lampard would be idiotic).

I don't know why you think "double pivot" is one position. It isn't. There is a defensive midfielder and then a deep lying midfielder. They have different responsibilities. Lampard and Mikel are not playing the same position Lampard's job is to create and Mikel's job is to cover for defenders and to stop attacks. Busquets and Iniesta don't have the same responsibilities.

The Regista is still, in most cases, supposed to help out defensively as well.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

The Regista is still, in most cases, supposed to help out defensively as well.

Of course they help out defensively. Everyone is supposed to help out defensively. However, the deep-lying playmaker is not primarily a defensive position. The defensive midfielder is primarily a defensive position.

[KonohasOrangeFlash 2,607]

Of course they help out defensively. Everyone is supposed to help out defensively. However, the deep-lying playmaker is not primarily a defensive position. The defensive midfielder is primarily a defensive position.

What I'm saying though, is that Lampard is almost non-existent when it comes to defending. He is either at the other end of the pitch because he has been attacking too much or just too lazy to dig in and press and defend.

[Kojo 4,676]

Haha, I love it!

Some people can dump on Torres and Mikel every day of the week with ridiculous points, when some try to nuance and make some coherent remarks they're which hunted as if they were insane.

As we say in French: the number doesn't make the sense. Some here make clueless remarks, others follows them like if they were the messiah

How is it a ridiculous point when it's evident Mikel has been awful recently?, there's no logic. Fair enough you can disagree and point out that there's still the rest of the season to go.

Lets all see what happens anyway, i think he will be terrible for us and wont be able to hack it, and if you're right Seb then fair play to you, but we can only judge this at the end of the season.

[Blue Armour 4,439]

What I'm saying though, is that Lampard is almost non-existent when it comes to defending. He is either at the other end of the pitch because he has been attacking too much or just too lazy to dig in and press and defend.

Clearly Mikel wasn't critcizing Lampard. He was just talking about his own defensive duties.

But you're right in saying Lampard has made too many forward runs ( pushing well into the opposition d-box in some of the recent games), leaving Mikel isolated in the counter-attacks. Lampard did do well in the recent England game though, and his runs yielded results. But how often do we play teams like Moldova, who hardly put pressure on the midfield?

[CHOULO19 24,332]

How is it a ridiculous point when it's evident Mikel has been awful recently?, there's no logic. Fair enough you can disagree and point out that there's still the rest of the season to go.

No it's not evident, it is just your opinion which many people on here disagree with.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Mikel seems to be given instructions to go forward a little bit more (like against Reading where he assists Hazard on the pen) because that's clear he's quality when it comes to play a little bit higher. Mikel's passing accuracy doesn't seem to suffer if he plays 20 yards or 80 yards from his goal.

What's a bit worrying at the moment though is those apparent instructions being given to Mikel, like "everyone goes forward" and I do think Robbie is behind that.

But at the moment the main problem is elsewhere, the front 3 is static when we have the ball (or asking the ball in the wrong zome) and lazy when it happens to defend. It has then direct implication on the double pivot who's exposed

I am having the same worry that you are-that RDM's instructions are too aggressive. I also have seen how the front 3 being static has allowed the counterattack to overwhelm us in the central midfield, but I think the biggest problem has been just lack of proper shape. We really have a whole bunch of central attacking midfielders and wherever we put them on the field, they want to revert to their original position. Mata and Hazard especially are both playing the same position on the field which means that we have no shape for attack or counterattack. RDM needs to instruct Mata to spend more time on the left and use Moses/Marin on the right to get the proper shape. We also have had Ivanovic bombing forward with no cover on the right which leaves us exposed. RDM definitely has some work to do. I'm not quite sure what direction RDM wants to take the squad right now. ( Meireles being sold doesn't help that.)

[Kojo 4,676]

No it's not evident, it is just your opinion which many people on here disagree with.

Or unless you just haven't opened your eyes and looked how shit he has been playing.

[Clevemayer 764]

Or unless you just haven't opened your eyes and looked how shit he has been playing.

Youre Ava is enough Statement to me

[zolayes 14,489]

remember sloth was a DM until he retired a few years ago. so he knows all about that position

[We Hate Scouse 10,326]

Claude Slothelele

[Spike 12,049]

@SeB, have all my reputations. All of them. It's almost turned into a habit, I see one of your posts - I don't even read it but I do give rep for it.

[Spike 12,049]

I hope my paycheck won't be lost while being sent to the other side of the earth

Same price as usual

What I tweeted yesterday: You can find many other figures on Squawka.com

Frank #Lampard: 83 passes fwd, 56 backwards (60%/40%). John Obi#Mikel: 115 passes fwd, 65 backwards (63%/37%). #ClichéKiller

Average defensive pass length: #Lampard: 17.33m, #Mikel: 15m. Average attacking pass length: #Lampard: 14m, #Mikel 16m.#ClichéKiller²

Long ball average length: #Lampard: 35.5m, #Mikel: 41.67m. Overall average passing length: #Lampard: 14.67m, #Mikel: 16m.#ClichéKiller³

Don't worry they never are...

Squawka.com, now that is an amazing website. It won't swallow as much of time as this site but nontheless: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HomePage

TV Tropes will ruin your life.

[Kojo 4,676]

remember sloth was a DM until he retired a few years ago. so he knows all about that position

What where you?, 5th choice keeper about 500 years ago?.

[Kojo 4,676]

Claude Slothelele

Make fun of me all you want, give it a few years and we will see who is laughing in the end, whilst you've tied yourself down with your stupidity.

But don't worry save yourself the homeless jokes, because it will come in handy as i wont bring them up against you when it happens to ya in 5 year time.