🇳🇬 Mikel John Obi

[Kojo 4,676]

I thought he was good yesterday, but I was disappointed that Jose seemed to give Essien the freedom to go forward more and not John. Essien seemed to just lose the ball whenever he received it in advanced areas. Mikel looked like he could create something in the rare occasions he did go forward. That said, both players had a very difficult job in the first half as the movement by the front four was almost nonexistent.

Very anxious to see a Mikel-MVG partnership. Hope to see it sometime soon.

I don't think Obi would go forward if he was a striker to be honest.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I don't think Obi would go forward if he was a striker to be honest.

He does it brilliantly well for Nigeria.

[bleed_blue 136]

I thought he was good yesterday, but I was disappointed that Jose seemed to give Essien the freedom to go forward more and not John. Essien seemed to just lose the ball whenever he received it in advanced areas. Mikel looked like he could create something in the rare occasions he did go forward. That said, both players had a very difficult job in the first half as the movement by the front four was almost nonexistent.

Very anxious to see a Mikel-MVG partnership. Hope to see it sometime soon.

One wonders till how long will you keep blaming the front 4 for mikel's poor play.

[The Skipper 20,609]

One wonders till how long will you keep blaming the front 4 for mikel's poor play.

Lol. Anyone could see that the front four in the first half had no chemistry.

[Mouri_Matic 560]

He does it brilliantly well for Nigeria.

Because he started out his career as a CAM until Mourinho decided to put him in CDM, that was when his potential died. Now people are thinking we should do the same to Oscar and Kevin, LAUGHABLE.

[The Skipper 20,609]

Because he started out his career as a CAM until Mourinho decided to put him in CDM, that was when his potential died. Now people are thinking we should do the same to Oscar and Kevin, LAUGHABLE.

Lol. Mourinho played him at DM 12 times, whilst playing him 15 times next to Makelele. Mourinho wasn't the one who turned him into a CDM whatsoever. It was the likes of Scolari, Ancelotti, Grant etc. who decided to use him there afterward that made him so.

And if Oscar were to move deeper he wouldn't become a CDM. I've told you this before, playing in the pivot does not mean you're automatically a defensive midfielder.

[Mouri_Matic 560]

Lol. Mourinho played him at DM 12 times, whilst playing him 15 times next to Makelele. Mourinho wasn't the one who turned him into a CDM whatsoever. It was the likes of Scolari, Ancelotti, Grant etc. who decided to use him there afterward that made him so.

And if Oscar were to move deeper he wouldn't become a CDM. I've told you this before, playing in the pivot does not mean you're automatically a defensive midfielder.

The point is Jose started the trench and new managers just saw him as a CDM and uses him there.

What on Earth would a pivot do? I am assuming we still keep 3 CAM which mean there are 2 spaces left for CDM, if one is ''pivot'' which I got no idea what you mean then that means there is only 1 space left for CDM. Now you want only 4 defenders and 1 CDM with 5 attacking players?

What are the pivot's job anyway?

[Phil Driver 503]

The thought of Mikel playing any further forward is laughable ,can you imagine him trying to recover his position ,he is so slow and on top of that has no stamina,he is a static holding midfielder and a poor one at that ,all this talk of him playing further forward is surely a joke?

For instance have you ever seen him shoot and compare that with Lampard's shooting prowess or Ramires stamina or Makelele's positional awareness?

There is a reason why we tried to convert him to a holding midfielder and that was he is a poor attacking midfielder and the other reason he has played under so many managers is ,they were not always picking the team and were trying to please Roman and Emenalo ,this has finished with the return of Jose as will be revealed soon.

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

The thought of Mikel playing any further forward is laughable ,can you imagine him trying to recover his position ,he is so slow and on top of that has no stamina,he is a static holding midfielder and a poor one at that ,all this talk of him playing further forward is surely a joke?

For instance have you ever seen him shoot and compare that with Lampard's shooting prowess or Ramires stamina or Makelele's positional awareness?

There is a reason why we tried to convert him to a holding midfielder and that was he is a poor attacking midfielder and the other reason he has played under so many managers is ,they were not always picking the team and were trying to please Roman and Emenalo ,this has finished with the return of Jose as will be revealed soon.

Mikel is neither slow nor has no stamina, In fact he is a really decent athlete. the problem is he is so lazy and has no drive whatsoever. That is what distinguishes him from Luiz Gustavo e.g.

But I also got no idea how people see him as attacking midfielder.

[Phil Driver 503]

Whatever ,so he is slow and has no stamina because he has no drive and is lazy ,either way he has never shown me he is a decent athlete maybe it is hidden but after seven years I have given up .

[bleed_blue 136]

Lol. Anyone could see that the front four in the first half had no chemistry.

Just like the other 32 times last season when Mikel played.

I think our front four really hate mikel and underperform to make mikel look bad. (Am I doing it right?)

[hjperdeath 2,226]

In the 2005 youth championships (FIFA U-20) , Mikel came second to Messi as the best youth player. They both played as attacking midfielders. You wouldn't be saying that he can't play as an attacking midfielder if you watch those games, you can trust me on that !

[The Skipper 20,609]

Just like the other 32 times last season when Mikel played.

I think our front four really hate mikel and underperform to make mikel look bad. (Am I doing it right?)

Don't be stupid. I'll pluck two games that come to mind immediately when the front 4 was exceptional when Mikel played - 2nd half against Man Utd in the FA Cup when he came on and Tottenham away in the league, the latter probably our best performance in the whole season.

You were saying?

[Reddish-Blue 2,506]

Don't be stupid. I'll pluck two games that come to mind immediately when the front 4 was exceptional when Mikel played - 2nd half against Man Utd in the FA Cup when he came on and Tottenham away in the league, the latter probably our best performance in the whole season.

You were saying?

Mikel's lack of drive in his play is the reason why fans don't love him.

He had some good performances last season...and he also had some awful performances.

Hopefully Mikel shows consistency this season...or else our midfield will fail once again

[The Skipper 20,609]

Mikel's lack of drive in his play is the reason why fans don't love him.

He had some good performances last season...and he also had some awful performances.

Hopefully Mikel shows consistency this season...or else our midfield will fail once again

I fully agree with you, but however that wasn't the argument I'm having with bb. He's practically saying that whenever Mikel plays the front four play bad as well which is absolute bollocks tbf.

[Phil Driver 503]

Mikel was terrible at Tottenham to let them get 2-1 up his defending was dreadful and he sat far to deep as usual,make no mistake MaZaCar got us the win there . And the top three play well despite Mikel not because of him and dont worry Jose knows this .......watch this space and be prepared to eat your words. At Utd he just sat Luiz really pushed on and did what Slobi should have been doing ,Hazard also turned it on ,Mikel did little and that is better than he usually does,the good news is we now have players to replace him and the myth will die.

[Special Juan 28,141]

Splinters in his arse for this boy this season, will be benched more often than not IMO.

[Phil Driver 503]

He will enjoy it there he can be even lazier and pick up his money for four years courtesy of the mug who gave him a four year contract between Di Matteo getting sacked and the Waiter taking over ,I will leave you to make your own mind up as to who decided he should get a 4 year deal?????

[The Skipper 20,609]

Mikel was terrible at Tottenham to let them get 2-1 up his defending was dreadful and he sat far to deep as usual,make no mistake MaZaCar got us the win there . And the top three play well despite Mikel not because of him and dont worry Jose knows this .......watch this space and be prepared to eat your words. At Utd he just sat Luiz really pushed on and did what Slobi should have been doing ,Hazard also turned it on ,Mikel did little and that is better than he usually does,the good news is we now have players to replace him and the myth will die.

Even though I completely disagree with you, we are not discussing Mikel's performances here, we're discussing whether the front four perform poorly whenever Mikel does play which is frankly bullshit.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Even though I completely disagree with you, we are not discussing Mikel's performances here, we're discussing whether the front four perform poorly whenever Mikel does play which is frankly bullshit.

You cited the United game - if you watch that game then for some reason that's frankly bemusing their midfield steps off for the final 30 minutes and invites pressure on themselves. You might say that the terrifying spectre of Mikel was what forced this but I think it had more to do with United's tactics just not working for them.

Another possibility is that something else happened in the 52nd minute of that game that altered United's thinking. Maybe the weather shifted, or the Earth tilted a fraction of a degree off it's axis altering the fundamental rules of nature in a way we were more attuned to than United.

Or maybe.,...just maybe we also brought on an attacking threat who actually made United's midfield think they should sit deeper because of the danger he posed. That could've been Mikel, or it could've been the other player we brought on at the same time.

Some chap called Eden Hazard.

He will enjoy it there he can be even lazier and pick up his money for four years courtesy of the mug who gave him a four year contract between Di Matteo getting sacked and the Waiter taking over ,I will leave you to make your own mind up as to who decided he should get a 4 year deal?????

I'm going to assume that's a veiled reference (although you do subtle about as well as a jackhammer) to Michael Emenalo giving him a contract because he's Nigerian...or maybe just because he's black.

Bullshit.

It's proper business practice to have any asset (which Mikel still is) tied down so we can't lose him on a free. The idea that Emenalo gave him a contract for any other reason is downright offensive to be quite honest. Maybe that's why he secured the signing of Lukaku though, because they're both black right? :banghead: