🇳🇬 Mikel John Obi

[The only place to be 11,313]

Exactly, Mikel is really underrated here. He's one of the best pure CDMs in the world. If you have a 4-3-3 midfield with Mikel als the holding midfielder, he's at his best.

The thing is how many 'pure cdms' are the actually playing at the moment? Most aren't as limited as Mikel, so in that sense he's one of the best of a small pool of mediocre players.

Teams simply don't use players like Mikel anymore.

[didierforever 7,349]

Emenalo re-signing him made sense because you'd have thought he would still have transfer value (or value to us as a squad member)...unfortunately that doesn't seem quite true.

I don't think jose wanted to sell him. If we had wanted to sell him, he would have been sold. I mean we sold ba, pva, lukaku, luiz for some excellent deals. Kakuta fetched as much as he could and I am sure bertrand would have been sold if we needed him to be.

Finding a club for mikel would have been no issue. But jose seems to rate him as out 2nd DM ahead of romeu, nat. So that should settle it.

[OneMoSalah 8,886]

The lack of respect for this player is unbelievable.

Exactly this is a guy who has won everything in England and Europe basically and has over 250 appearances here since he was 19 or 20 but yet there are some morons who think the 8 managers who have used him are stupid and know nothing about football.

[Spike 12,049]

A new day, a new season. He isn't going anywhere. Let's watch and see if he can regain form. I still have faith that he can unlike certain other players.

[zolayes 14,489]

in a tribute at the weekend to Sir Bobby Robson at Ipswich John Wark said .. Bobby always wanted his teams to play

attacking football . midfielders were told First look Forward then Square .... finally look back .

in other words the pass back is a last resort .. Mikel uses the opposite philosophy

[CHOULO19 24,332]

The thing is how many 'pure cdms' are the actually playing at the moment? Most aren't as limited as Mikel, so in that sense he's one of the best of a small pool of mediocre players.

Teams simply don't use players like Mikel anymore.

That's actually a fair point. The game has moved on a bit from the type of players like Mikel. Few team use a traditional anchor man. Carrick facing similar issues at united. But Mikel can still be valuable to the team. He showed that after we signed Matic last season. That is why he is staying.

[The only place to be 11,313]

That's actually a fair point. The game has moved on a bit from the type of players like Mikel. Few team use a traditional anchor man. Carrick facing similar issues at united. But Mikel can still be valuable to the team. He showed that after we signed Matic last season. That is why he is staying.

That was probably our fault for grooming him as the next Makelele when football moved away from that type of player. As a one-dimensional guy who can come on in the last 30 minutes of a game we're winning and kill the flow of the game he's probably fine....because he kills BOTH teams flow.

But as a proper replacement for Matic who might start games, urgh.

[Styles 9,790]

Mikel:

"The character and the belief that we have in this team, from the players that have been here a long time, I'm sure that will transform into the new players. It's always a big pressure playing for this club. You always expect to win trophies every year so I'm sure the new players that have come in will help us win more trophies."

"They will know what representing this team is all about. Wearing the blue shirt and representing Chelsea is a privilege. I'm sure they will learn from us and we will be able to teach them one or two things."

Teach them, Mikel.

Defensive midfielder. Teacher. Legend.

I hope he slaps every hater in here in the face with his British passport in a few months.

[happy_juan 64]

Did I read someone make the argument that if we could find a buyer for David Luiz, we won't have any trouble finding one for Mikel?

Bloody hell. How delusional are you guys? David Luiz was bought for 50 million. He was a hot commodity in the market.

Before last season as well, people were coming up with things like "Mourinho values Mikel", "Mikel will be the number one name on our team sheet", "Mikel is the top CDM in the world" etc etc.

He started less than one third games in Premier League last season. We bought a midfielder who was cup tied for champions league in january window to replace the "2nd best young player after messi in 2006". If that does not show how Mourinho rates Mikel then I am afraid these posters here should seek some medical help.

[happy_juan 64]

That's actually a fair point. The game has moved on a bit from the type of players like Mikel. Few team use a traditional anchor man. Carrick facing similar issues at united. But Mikel can still be valuable to the team. He showed that after we signed Matic last season. That is why he is staying.

He started 2 out of 15 PL games after we signed Matic. Sure shows how highly he is rated by his manager.

A self respecting player would have got the hint and tried to move but Mikel knows his salary demands won't be met elsewhere. and THAT is why he is staying.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

He started 2 out of 15 PL games after we signed Matic. Sure shows how highly he is rated by his manager.

A self respecting player would have got the hint and tried to move but Mikel knows his salary demands won't be met elsewhere. and THAT is why he is staying.

Yes, let's forget all the sub appearances and a MOTM performance in the CL semifinal...

And his wage demands? At least look it up before you say something like that. Mikel is one of our lowest paid established first team players at 75K/wk.

John has said countless times that he feels that he owes the club and hence will stay until the club does not want him anymore.

[Namika 922]

Why people are unhappy about him being Matic understudy ? He has shown lots of times that he can play at a high level, CL final, CL semi against Atletico, CL semi against Barcelona... He's a very good option to have in a CL campaign or in the big games.

[happy_juan 64]

Yes, let's forget all the sub appearances and a MOTM performance in the CL semifinal...

And his wage demands? At least look it up before you say something like that. Mikel is one of our lowest paid established first team players at 75K/wk.

John has said countless times that he feels that he owes the club and hence will stay until the club does not want him anymore.

What a joke. Mikel is paid more than Oscar.

When you are starting just 2 out of 15 games, you are NOT an established player.

and please stop with jokes like MOTM performance is CL semifinal.

[happy_juan 64]

Yes, let's forget all the sub appearances and a MOTM performance in the CL semifinal...

And his wage demands? At least look it up before you say something like that. Mikel is one of our lowest paid established first team players at 75K/wk.

John has said countless times that he feels that he owes the club and hence will stay until the club does not want him anymore.

Do you think he should be in the same wage bracket as Terry, Hazard, Costa etc?

[The Skipper 20,609]

What a joke. Mikel is paid more than Oscar.

When you are starting just 2 out of 15 games, you are NOT an established player.

and please stop with jokes like MOTM performance is CL semifinal.

Mikel has been a good squad player at CFC for 8 years now, £75k for a solid squad player at a top club is reasonable.

Doesn't matter anyway, whether you like it or not Jose's made his decision, he's staying. Whining on an Internet forum won't change that.

[The Skipper 20,609]

Do you think he should be in the same wage bracket as Terry, Hazard, Costa etc?

Terry, Hazard, Costa all get paid well over £100k a week, he isn't in the same wage bracket as them at all!

[Stats 7,142]

Why people are unhappy about him being Matic understudy ? He has shown lots of times that he can play at a high level, CL final, CL semi against Atletico, CL semi against Barcelona... He's a very good option to have in a CL campaign or in the big games.

Let's not forget that when we went to the Emirates last season and frustrated them and cut of the likes of Ozil being effective, Mikel was excellent for that. Mourinho came in with a game plan that worked and Mikel done his role brilliantly. Mikel had Ozil in his back pocket. Same when we beat Liverpool 2-0 at Anfield last season in a game many people expected us to lose as we played a weakened team, he was excellent and the likes of Sterling, Coutinho, Suarez and Sturridge were innefective. With the games you have mentioned and the ones I have included he has more than proved he is a very reliable player when called on. This is why I have no problem with Mikel staying and Romeu going out on loan.

Mourinho knows he is a reliable player thus why he wants him for another season. He is a solid player and for one who is happy to take a more subsided role, people should be more greatful and appreciate the fact that we have a solid squad player at the club.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

What a joke. Mikel is paid more than Oscar.

That is because Oscar's wages are too low because he moved here from Brazil and not somewhere from Europe. Mikel's wages are more than reasonable for an established player at a top club.

When you are starting just 2 out of 15 games, you are NOT an established player.

How about more than 300 appearances for the club, being the non-British player with the 3rd most appearances in the history of the club and the current third longest serving player? Does that make him established?

and please stop with jokes like MOTM performance is CL semifinal.

Not my words, the words of Pat Nevin in his segment called "Analyze That" on Chelsea TV.

But keep hating :tophat:

[The only place to be 11,313]

How about more than 300 appearances for the club, being the non-British player with the 3rd most appearances in the history of the club and the current third longest serving player? Does that make him established?

Not when you've been replaced by Matic.

Here's the thing though. How is it that Matic is already a firm favourite with the Chelsea support and has garnered praise from all corners, rather than being 'under-appreciated' or 'misunderstood' like Mikel apparently was/is?

Why is it that both Matic and Makelele have been roundly applauded for their performances when Mikel simply wasn't?

Are Chelsea supporters smarter than they used to be or is it simply that Matic and Makelele are far better players than Mikel?

Funny thing....that French boy who used to post all those pictures showing just how great Mikel was....well his last post was on the day we signed Matic.

[Fernando 6,585]

Not when you've been replaced by Matic.

Here's the thing though. How is it that Matic is already a firm favourite with the Chelsea support and has garnered praise from all corners, rather than being 'under-appreciated' or 'misunderstood' like Mikel apparently was/is?

Why is it that both Matic and Makelele have been roundly applauded for their performances when Mikel simply wasn't?

Are Chelsea supporters smarter than they used to be or is it simply that Matic and Makelele are far better players than Mikel?

Funny thing....that French boy who used to post all those pictures showing just how great Mikel was....well his last post was on the day we signed Matic.

If I'm not mistaken most people case for Mikel is to be a back up not a starter.

We all know Matic is the best we got.

But after him our back up was Ramires, Van Ginkel, Mikel and Romeu.

So then we boil down to the other 3's since Ramires seems an untouchable for Mourinho...

Out of these of Van Ginkel, Mikel and Romeu who is more apt to come and help us set up shop in an important fixture?

Mikel seems like the guy to me.

Hence why Mourinho and the club did the right thing in loaning Romeu out and keeping Mikel.