Mikel John Obi

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

Mikel, Chelsea legend :blue scalf: :blue scalf:

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

Should have Score...

[robsblubot 3,502]

Once again people will say correlation does not determine causation. However, at some point one, perhaps the manager, is bound to start asking whether there is causation between our results and whether Mikel plays or not.

Like I wrote on the other thread, he did his things well enough, but I just don't think much of the things he can do. When he plays we lack, tremendously, the stuff Matic can, and mikel cannot do.

Mikel is never tight market because he's not a threat. They will only going to challenge him if they think they can regain possession. He doesn't contribute in the build up play and lacks movement (not enough pace); our AMs will certainly get less service with Mikel on the pitch. And because Mikel is never tight marked, that leaves more defenders to mark them. We already have a CB (Cahill) who cannot hit a long ball to save his life, and with Mikel our attackers will always struggle.

Let me exemplify my point: we were chasing the game down by a goal. Mikel receives a pass from Fabregas in the center of the pitch. He has no opponent near him and instead of turning and making a run to join the attack, which is what Matic would've done, he quickly and needlessly squares it right back to Fabregas (pass completion check! ). Even the announcer was saying, "way too many touches - too slow." He plays like Cahill in possession, but Mikel is a midfielder.

If you cannot see the enormous difference in quality between Mikel and Matic, then I guess we should just agree to disagree.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

If you cannot see the enormous difference in quality between Mikel and Matic, then I guess we should just agree to disagree.

I don't think that's being disputed by anyone here though. Every fan left, right and centre knows that Matic is much more of a better player than Mikel. What is being said though, is that Mikel wasn't as negative as he usually is by nature. Yes, he did make those needless sideways passes he's accustomed to.. But he did make a lot more positive strides forward than I've seen him do when he was a regular starter. He's learning, albeit very slowly, from Matic's play.

[robsblubot 3,502]

I don't think that's being disputed by anyone here though. Every fan left, right and centre knows that Matic is much more of a better player than Mikel. What is being said though, is that Mikel wasn't as negative as he usually is by nature. Yes, he did make those needless sideways passes he's accustomed to.. But he did make a lot more positive strides forward than I've seen him do when he was a regular starter. He's learning, albeit very slowly, from Matic's play.

Fair enough.

Just feel there are far better options out there, even as a sub. Guys with more energy, urgency, quality, and yes pace.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Fair enough.

Just feel there are far better options out there, even as a sub. Guys with more energy, urgency, quality, and yes pace.

I think Fabregas-Mikel is a combination that won't work, I mentioned it in Fab's thread because of his positioning. If Mikel was in a midfield trio with Fabregas and Ramires, then I think it works (while Matic is out).

Ramires - Mikel - Fabregas

Oscar - Hazard

For the pace we'd lose with Willian, we'd regain with Ramires. He's got the stamina and pace to do it.

[didierforever 7,349]

If you cannot see the enormous difference in quality between Mikel and Matic, then I guess we should just agree to disagree.

who here has even brought up matic and mikel in the same breath???

[zolayes 14,489]

who here has even brought up matic and mikel in the same breath???

both have 5 letters and start with M change one letter and Matic is Magic .... just change anyone for Mikel

[stroey 2,525]

One of our best players today, so reliable even without regular football. Should stay in the squad.

[didierforever 7,349]

I think Fabregas-Mikel is a combination that won't work, I mentioned it in Fab's thread because of his positioning. If Mikel was in a midfield trio with Fabregas and Ramires, then I think it works (while Matic is out).

Ramires - Mikel - Fabregas

Oscar - Hazard

For the pace we'd lose with Willian, we'd regain with Ramires. He's got the stamina and pace to do it.

i think we pretty much played a 3 man mid today.

cesc-mikel-oscar

oscar was way toooo deep to be counted as a no.10 today. think rambo is still "unfit" otherwise he defo would have started.

[robsblubot 3,502]

who here has even brought up matic and mikel in the same breath???

but there lies the problem: the abysmal difference, not only in quality, but also characteristics.

Whenever Matic doesn't play we field a completely inadequate and different type of player to sub him. Yes, Rambo not being available made things worse, but I look at City and they have better options there. Yes, Matic is at least as good as Toure, but they have Fernando and Fernandinho who are a lot closer to Toure than Mikel is to Matic.

Oh well not much to be done at this point, but I'd like to get another CM/DLP.

[Sheva. 5,373]

One thing we did miss with Matic is his amazing ability to win the ball back in the opposition half.

But apart from that, Matic isn't the best against very defensive teams either.

[The Mak 4,459]

One thing we did miss with Matic is his amazing ability to win the ball back in the opposition half.

But apart from that, Matic isn't the best against very defensive teams either.

At least Matic would not stand-off, stand-off and stand-off like was done today for the first goal. There would be no Newcastle player freely running into the box if Matic was there.

Don't even get me started at Mikel's 'attempt' to get the ball leading up to the 2nd goal...

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Why people even compare Matic and Mikel? Matic is our starter and Mikel is his backup. Quality is reflected by their roles. And Mikel is decent Matic backup, but obviously not as good.

I ask you something; do you want Javi Maritinez to be Matic backup or what? Because that wont happen. Maybe a more dynamic DM could be bought and Mikel sold, but that new DM will have flaws too. Unless we will buy someone like Tiago Mendes, Motta or somebody who is before retirement. And still while they are more creative, they aint faster. Each DM who will be our backup will not be as good as Matic simple as that.

[Gilvorak 3,734]

Matic has gotten burned by other players plenty of times. The goal was because of Cahill shitness, nothing more. Mikel had a very good game, was one of our better players.

[didierforever 7,349]

but there lies the problem: the abysmal difference, not only in quality, but also characteristics.

Whenever Matic doesn't play we field a completely inadequate and different type of player to sub him. Yes, Rambo not being available made things worse, but I look at City and they have better options there. Yes, Matic is at least as good as Toure, but they have Fernando and Fernandinho who are a lot closer to Toure than Mikel is to Matic.

Oh well not much to be done at this point, but I'd like to get another CM/DLP.

city had a terrible start to the season cos yaya was playing poorly. whats worse is that city got outplayed and totally dominated by a 10 men bayern which dint have lahm, tiger, muller etc. the level of difference is not much that different.

i honestly cant blame mikel for yesterday. he is a squad player and has his limitations. infact matic is currently one of the best or maybe even the best DM in the world. any DM we bring in will have some shortcomings. add to his abscence the rambo injury, means we lost our backbone and our engine. any team in the world will struggle with that. our problem yesterday was not mikel, it was cesc, costa and GC. i cant remember a single time where cesc took less than 3 touches to play a simple pass. i cant remember a single effective thing done from costa (and these 2 were the reason that we were flying so high). and lets not speak about GC's performance yesterday, the lesser spoken the better.

the difference is there, and that is why we have a squad of different players with different characterisitcs.

matic- proper DM, shield.

cesc - DLP

rambo - workhorse/engine

mikel - stabiliser and a very good option to close out last minutes.

[LAB 1,030]

Why are we bashing Mikel? I thought he was more than decent replacement.

And please explain why he should have scored? Because that should be a very classic Mikel scoring header?

[The Mak 4,459]

Mikel had a very good game, was one of our better players.

I actually feel embarrassed for people who actually believe this. Honestly. Maybe the new hipster thing to do on TC since I've been away is to sing Mikel's praises anytime he is on the pitch, I don't know.

As I have always argued, people can throw up all the stats they want about Mikel, that's great, because they only show what he has done. My argument has always been about what he does not do; his general passiveness on the pitch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aVAfcwC5nk

Goal #1: Mikel does his party trick: jogs alongside a player to make it look like he's doing something when he's actually doing fuck all. Marking someone? Nope. Challenges him? Nope. Runs alongside him for about 30 yards and does not attempt to challenge him even though he is well covered with 2 defenders in front. Lets a player freely run 30 yards into the box - great defensive midfield play.

Goal #2: This is where he really fucks up. Tries to win the ball high up the pitch and completely fails, leaving the defence totally exposed. Yeah ok, we were chasing the game, fair enough but if you're not getting the ball you have to at least get the man - especially if you are supposed to be anchorman going to ground in the opposition's half! For fuck sake, it schoolboy stuff. He wasn't even on a yellow. At least Ramires would've taken the man.

I remember giving Mikel stick for being passive and not making tackles, only for Choulo to tell me something like (I'm not digging the conversation up) that he doesn't do it because if he fails it will leave the defence exposed. Well, when we judge Mikel do simple rules like these not still apply?! Or do they change according to the agenda? It seems like they change...

I'm not saying it was all down to him, but considering his involvement (or lack thereof) in both goals, the 2nd in particular, and to say the man had a good game is nothing short of embarrassing.