Mikel John Obi

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I wonder, that if after 16 years at the club when he finally comes to retire, that we'll finally appreciate him?

Maka was hardly appreciated when he as was still here. We only knew his worth after he left.

[Badboy 1,526]

Maka was hardly appreciated when he as was still here. We only knew his worth after he left.

No No No we knew what Makalele was worth. Mikel is one of my favorite players, he provides us with stability and ball possession in his area of the pitch. I have had a go at him in the past but I firmly believe that he's the first name on our team sheet !

[manpe 10,861]

I'm not breaking free or anything, I'm only saying it how it's said, if no one's going to actually come out and say he's not shit because they're scared of even the average idiot (I've come across about two so far in this thread) then god help them. I don't get why people are so defensive about it, it's like watching Heskey constantly missing sitters and just denying he has done it.

I don't think anybody is scared, I think there are just different opinions on him. As I said, it's difficult to evaluate defensive mids, so opinions about them will naturally be the most diverse. It's easy to assess if a striker or a goalkeeper is shit, but DM is a more tactical position, which I think can be most objectively judged by experts.

I will trust Robbie and our coaching staff in this matter. I do like him though, I think he tends to be our coolest player in high pressure situations. His passing is accurate most of the time, which is offensively one of the most important things for a defensive mid, since their first and most important task is to get and retain possession.

[zolayes 14,489]

No No No we knew what Makalele was worth. Mikel is one of my favorite players, he provides us with stability and ball possession in his area of the pitch. I have had a go at him in the past but I firmly believe that he's the first name on our team sheet !

It was only Real that didnt realise how good Maka was ....THANKFULLY .

[Kojo 4,676]

I don't think anybody is scared, I think there are just different opinions on him. As I said, it's difficult to evaluate defensive mids, so opinions about them will naturally be the most diverse. It's easy to assess if a striker or a goalkeeper is shit, but DM is a more tactical position, which I think can be most objectively judged by experts.

I will trust Robbie and our coaching staff in this matter. I do like him though, I think he tends to be our coolest player in high pressure situations. His passing is accurate most of the time, which is a good thing for a defensive mid, since their first and most important task is to get and retain possession.

I like to analyze defensive midfielders and watch them closely because it's where i played when i was younger. Mikel for me is way too clumsy and his reactions aren't good enough. His tackling isn't anything spectacular, not that it has to be. Marking can be a problem for him also and his positioning, that's what really winds me up, but Mikel will get better at that with experience definitely. But i doubt he will ever be a great DM. Someone like Tiote and i know i keep going on about him, but he's just a brilliant defensive midfielder, and i would have him over Mikel anyday and he's only one year older than him.

Mikel for me would be better if he ditched the strength for pace, because he can be way to slow to react. It's very rarely you see him making that last minute challenge what is vital, or getting that block in, if you've ever noticed. Terry was never blessed with pace but how many times has he done that?. Regardless he's a defender and more in the action, Mikel is usually always staying too further up field and is sometimes out of position when the opposition has scored a goal.

But it's just not good enough, i would love him to prove me wrong but really cannot see it at all. And he was too poor against PSG, and i mean too poor, even Essien done a much better job.

[capriccioso 2,545]

Again, Sloth, we can only tell his worth by going off what we know. As Manpe said up the page, keeping the ball is the most important thing. By analysing his interceptions (which unlike assists can't be helped by something- it will all be Mikel's own work) and tackles you can know just how good or bad he is.

[Kojo 4,676]

Well he was playing bad last season, and is playing bad in pre season so far. He was decent under Robbie but he wasn't as good as people where saying. Though i was impressed in the CL Final.

[KonohasOrangeFlash 2,607]

A solid DM. He will hopefully continue to get better and better.

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

Been really poor this preseason. I think Essien has already eclipsed him to partner Lamps in the pivot.

[Kieran. 6,317]

Been really poor this preseason. I think Essien has already eclipsed him to partner Lamps in the pivot.

Absolutely not.

[Ollie 4,400]

There's a difference. Mikel is trying not to get injured and is just slowly playing himself back into the season a bit conservatively. He's not giving it everything. Essien on the other hand has something to prove and knows he has to give it everything this pre season to get a chance to play more league games. Mikel knows he's virtually assured or playing 90% of games.

[Sheva. 5,373]

Well he was playing bad last season, and is playing bad in pre season so far. He was decent under Robbie but he wasn't as good as people where saying. Though i was impressed in the CL Final.

He started the season badly, but you have to remember his Dad was abducted around that time.

But under RDM he was far far better, he and Lampard in that double pivot was just so fucking solid.

[Ollie 4,400]

He started the season badly, but you have to remember his Dad was abducted around that time.

That just sounds too funny. Damn those aliens.

I think Mikel will have his best ever Chelsea season in the season ahead. I don't think Essien will ever get back to his best which is a shame but he has had a few great years with us. I'd love him to prove me wrong, he just looks so slow now tho and he keeps annoying smashing the ball 50ft over the bar with annoying shots.

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

Absolutely not.

Hopefully you're right. But Mikel has been very disappointing so far imo and Essien has been our best midfielder by a wide margin imo. But it's only preseason.

[Kieran. 6,317]

Hopefully you're right. But Mikel has been very disappointing so far imo and Essien has been our best midfielder by a wide margin imo. But it's only preseason.

I think it's a little early to have Essien over Mikel.

[Peace. 4,352]

I deeply hope we look for and sign another Defensive Midfielder. I am a fervent believer of the need to have two different players by position. And thus, not only for having a good squad depth, but also for having the possibility to change our tactics during games, and to adapt our tactical approach considering our opposition. Yeah, we can't afford ourselves to be a one-track-tactical team, because there's only one club in the world who can afford this, and this is Barcelona (and still, due to their poor squad depth, they are sometimes suffering from their one-dimensional set of tactics).

Well, for the Defensive Midfielder, we are currently lacking of covering, and we neither have a DM with different attributes than John Obi Mikel. Essien has neither the tactical awareness, nor the strength/pace to play there and be good anymore. Hypster Meireles is only a good squad player, he should only be playing when we need someone to chase like a pitbull ball-holders, and doesn't have the abilities to play there (as he proved us this under AVB spell). As for Romeu, he is a big question mark. We shouldn't count on him, since he will definitely for sure go back sooner than later to Barça. He can be a one-year stop gap, but considering the stat our defensive midfield is in, I believe this is very important for us to search for a mddle/long-term. ABout Ramires, the brazilian did show us, when playing for his national team that he wasn't good at all in the double pivot role, and I believe he would be kinda dreadful in the DM role while playing in 4-3-3. To first off, his ball control / first touch is really awful. I ain't mean we should have a Messi-esq player to play the DM role, but this player should at least be decent and confortable in his first touch, so he doesn't lose the ball as soon as he recovers it. Plus I find he does lost the ball a tad too much, which is dangerous when playing in front of the defense. And his willingness to make long runs from the midfield to the box could be a down side.

And I gotta admit I am not convinced by the nigerian. My main worry is that I question his mobility. If he was awfully bad under AVB, it wasn't a conincidence. Indeed, that was because the portuguesh was making us playing a high tempo game, with the will to build the game in a quick way. Because of his slow mobility and ball retention, it did not quite work out, and it led to bad defensive errors : at White Hart Lane, on Adebayor's goal, for instance. While I think he is really a fine player when we adpote a slow tempo and/or park the bus (if he was good under RDM and Ancelotti, this neither is a coincidence - I think he would be a great player if he was playing in Serie A), into my eyes, he is a surplus to requirement when we are playing teams which park the bus against us (and thus play mainly a counter-attack game).

I would like us to buy a player who harasses the opposition, who is a warrior and doesn't stop running. A player who will immediatly be searching to recover the ball, when he'll lost it. A player who, as soon as he recovers the ball, gives it to the nearest of his team mates, à la Maka. A player with dynamism and pace. In short, someone similar to the old Essien, to Tiote, Witsell (I guess) or Fellaini. I am not seeking for a world-class player. No, an above average would fit the bill, since it is only in order to have a good squad depth, and the ability to change our tactics.

[Magic Lamps 11,653]

Agree, Mikel lacks effort and commitment and is not really persistent enough to be a world class DM. The frustrating thing is, he does not really lack the ability. He is by no means slow or has no sense for spaces niether is he a bad tackler, IMO

Mikel seems to have a high standing within the Team and the way Lamps, who might have the most intelligent footballing brain in the world, rates him, makes me thing he is doing sth right. http://www.kickoff.com/news/29612/frank-lampard-says-fellow-chelsea-midfielder-john-mikel-obi-is-underrated-by-outsiders

[The Skipper 20,593]

Before we judge Mikel, or any other player in that respect, let's wait till the season starts officially.

I feel many people are letting pre-season taint their view on a lot of players.

Mikel was one of the best players towards the end of the season, so many have forgotten already.