Mikel John Obi

[Clevemayer 764]

A very strong performance and one everyone knows he is capable of doing, which is why it's so frustrating watching him a lot of the time. I've wondered before whether he could be a DLP, with the freedom to go forward more rather than playing some neutered, Makelele-lite role in a team that doesn't really need it.

If you look at the roles Chalobah played at Watford and Loftus-Cheek plays in the youth team, they're afforded much more freedom to venture forward like Martinez and Schweinsteiger have in that Bayern team. Allowing Mikel that option might make him a bit more alert in games, so he takes games by the scruff of the neck like he did against Uruguay.

Exactly mate, it annoys me so much. Thats what I was stating for a very long time, he can produce this kind of performances and even better and I doubt it has to do with his contribution to the blue shirt, I think in this case we have to appologize to Nigeria for destroying one of they're brightest talents.

I've been slated nomerous times, but all this comes for me to two reasons, his mental state and the way we have restricted him here...

[Special Juan 27,554]

Super goal, really well taken.

My thoughts remain the same, we need new blood for his position.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Fucking overrated piece of shit. That goal was nothing more than pure luck not to mention the shit defending of the uraguans . #noshitz #hezthebestdminthewholewideworld #fuckwerstuckwithhim5ever

Pathetic..

Great performance yesterday, he is the heart and soul of his NT. Very happy for Omeru as well who was Nigeria's only decent defender and who owned Cavani on a couple of occasions.

[TrippingStep 336]

What is Mikel doing here?

He has a bit of luck on his first touch, the way he played it, he wasn't expecting the guy pressing him.

In the end it's a good play but it could have been a big mystake by him.

[IliyaDamyanov 43]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjlcVeFmy1s

miracle.....next goal will be after 5 years

[lucio 5,418]

he plays well for nigeria as per usual. shame he only plays like that for us about 2-3 times a season. SELL

[Backstreet09 499]

Pathetic..

Great performance yesterday, he is the heart and soul of his NT. Very happy for Omeru as well who was Nigeria's only decent defender and who owned Cavani on a couple of occasions.

There are 2 typez of people...

[The Rising Sun 709]

Chelsea did not destroy him at all.

He is the most annoying player to watch 80% of the time, IMO.

May he flourish elsewhere after 7 years at Chelsea.

[Melanicus 5,208]

[Clevemayer 764]

Chelsea did not destroy him at all.

He is the most annoying player to watch 80% of the time, IMO.

May he flourish elsewhere after 7 years at Chelsea.

let me just follow you:

--> voted second best player at youth olympics after, right MESSI

--> Labled NIGERIAN GODL by mou and his ENTIRE staff

--> One of the biggest war in footballhistory for an Talent, maybe the BIGGEST betwenn the heavy weights CFC and MU

--> IS originally 19 years an AMF

--> get switched to DMF out of a Playernumber Problem (Diarra didnt do what mou expected from him was better at RB, so only place Mikel could play with Lamps and ESs in the Team, DM)

--> Never had the opportunity to develop and get his head washed for stying grounded.

yeah right we didn't destroy him... -

[The Rising Sun 709]

let me just follow you:

--> voted second best player at youth olympics after, right MESSI

--> Labled NIGERIAN GODL by mou and his ENTIRE staff

--> One of the biggest war in footballhistory for an Talent, maybe the BIGGEST betwenn the heavy weights CFC and MU

--> IS originally 19 years an AMF

--> get switched to DMF out of a Playernumber Problem (Diarra didnt do what mou expected from him was better at RB, so only place Mikel could play with Lamps and ESs in the Team, DM)

--> Never had the opportunity to develop and get his head washed for stying grounded.

yeah right we didn't destroy him... -

Well thats the way you view it, and you may be right.

But not every youth player turns up and lives up to their expectations.

Marko Marin was supposed to be the German Messi when he was doing the rounds at U19s .

I just hope sometime in the future, Chelsea is not viewed as the destroyer of his career as well.

[xPetrCechx 13,565]

GO...

[Clevemayer 764]

Well thats the way you view it, and you may be right.

But not every youth player turns up and lives up to their expectations.

Marko Marin was supposed to be the German Messi when he was doing the rounds at U19s .

I just hope sometime in the future, Chelsea is not viewed as the destroyer of his career as well.

only foolish germans labelled him the german messi, he was nowhere near any world class quality.

It was a Time German football was left in shades, a shadow of itself and they needed desperatly talents, they labelled everybody the great messiah...

you can't compare this to John Obi.

the whole Nigerian NT-Stuff said :"We thought we've found the new Okocha" and stuff like:"His skills at the ball were from another planet, he never ever gave the ball away at any circumstance in any pressure"...

My club hast to take it if they don't turn it around (hes 26 still) they wil be hold in regret... by me for sure...

[laura90 556]

That is a load of rubbish. Even if one were to believe this entire hype about Mikel that you are presenting in your post, you want us to change our team to something that will make Mikel look better?

Good. Lay the blame for Mikel's sloppy game and poor abilities on the other 10 men. I can see the logic behind that.

No, I never said we need to change our players for Mikel to play better. Just his partner in the pivot.

But that wasn't even my point. My point was, it's unfair to blame only Mikel for our midfield being outplayed against every strong team. It's bad combination of players in pivot, too. I said that Mikel needs playmaker by his side in this 4 2 3 1 system to be better, as good as he can. That way he would have more space and freedom to play forward. Ramires, Lampard don't suit him in pivot. If he had Modric by his side, he would be much better player, but not among the best in the world. He lacks ability to play high tempo games and isn't great passer, hence he needs playmaker by his side in the pivot.

With our attacking minded players, organised attack is the best defense. But we lose possesion very often shortly after we get it. Everywhere on the field. That's Mikel's fault too?

We need playmaker in pivot , regardless of Mikel or creativity upfront, somebody from the back needs to keep possesion, pull the strings, dictate tempo, make long passes and to pass quickly enough to attacking players and give them space and time for maneveur.

Ramires needs to run in order to pass and Lampard runs more often then he passes from pivot. Mikel often stays alone there. He has to stay put and to play safe. We knew he was defensive midfielder, he never was playmaker or organizator of the game in that position.

In a nutshell, to compliment our pivot players ( Lampard and Ramires - against strong teams) we need solid central defensive midfielder with playmaking abilities.

I'm all for getting one by the way.

Lack of playmaking abilities from our pivot players was our main problem inthe midfield. Lack of organization and easily lost possesion was the second. Incompatibility of pivot players was the third one. Than Mikel.

It's not fair to blame only Mikel for everything bad in midfield and to slate him so much, especially considering that it wasn't easy for him either in this system and formation. My only point.

[TrippingStep 336]

No, I never said we need to change our players for Mikel to play better. Just his partner in the pivot.

But that wasn't even my point. My point was, it's unfair to blame only Mikel for our midfield being outplayed against every strong team. It's bad combination of players in pivot, too. I said that Mikel needs playmaker by his side in this 4 2 3 1 system to be better, as good as he can. That way he would have more space and freedom to play forward. Ramires, Lampard don't suit him in pivot. If he had Modric by his side, he would be much better player, but not among the best in the world. He lacks ability to play high tempo games and isn't great passer, hence he needs playmaker by his side in the pivot.

With our attacking minded players, organised attack is the best defense. But we lose possesion very often shortly after we get it. Everywhere on the field. That's Mikel's fault too?

We need playmaker in pivot , regardless of Mikel or creativity upfront, somebody from the back needs to keep possesion, pull the strings, dictate tempo, make long passes and to pass quickly enough to attacking players and give them space and time for maneveur.

Ramires needs to run in order to pass and Lampard runs more often then he passes from pivot. Mikel often stays alone there. He has to stay put and to play safe. We knew he was defensive midfielder, he never was playmaker or organizator of the game.

In a nutshell, to compliment our pivot players ( Lampard and Ramires - against strong teams) we need solid central defensive midfielder with playmaking abilities.

I'm all for getting one by the way.

Lack of playmaking abilities from our pivot players was our main problem inthe midfield. Lack of organization and easily lost possesion was the second. Incompatibility of pivot players was the third one. Than Mikel.

It's not fair to blame only Mikel for everything bad in midfield and to slate him so much, especially considering that it wasn't easy for him either in this system and formation. My only point.

only foolish germans labelled him the german messi, he was nowhere near any world class quality.

It was a Time German football was left in shades, a shadow of itself and they needed desperatly talents, they labelled everybody the great messiah...

you can't compare this to John Obi.

the whole Nigerian NT-Stuff said :"We thought we've found the new Okocha" and stuff like:"His skills at the ball were from another planet, he never ever gave the ball away at any circumstance in any pressure"...

My club hast to take it if they don't turn it around (hes 26 still) they wil be hold in regret... by me for sure...

It reminds me a little bit of Moussa Dembele who also debuted his career high-up in the pitch, powerful, could keep the ball pretty well but lacks the little spark, speed in his play and goalscoring ability to make it at the top higher in the pitch.

He ended playing in the pivot in Fulham and Tottenham.

I'm not a fan of Dembele.

[Toli 977]

only foolish germans labelled him the german messi, he was nowhere near any world class quality.

It was a Time German football was left in shades, a shadow of itself and they needed desperatly talents, they labelled everybody the great messiah...

you can't compare this to John Obi.

the whole Nigerian NT-Stuff said :"We thought we've found the new Okocha" and stuff like:"His skills at the ball were from another planet, he never ever gave the ball away at any circumstance in any pressure"...

My club hast to take it if they don't turn it around (hes 26 still) they wil be hold in regret... by me for sure...

people also said saviola will be the nxt big thing or or or. and "okocha skills"..yeah than this nigerian stuff must have been blind. this guy is technically limited and offensively poor. we didnt destroy him. he has had so much playing time over all the years and couldnt evolve in the right way.

obi was never that good as people labelled him. especially in africa people tend to overhype players.

having talent and potential and fullfilling it are two different things...wouldnt mind mikel staying though as another option in the midfield. he is surely better than romeu.

he played good yesterday but uruguay (as in the whole tournament) were totally awful. even suarez+cavani didnt play well and their midfield is mediocre at best. no game to judge mikel.

in terms of offering him freedom: what will we get from this? he cant score for his life. he aint fast. his passing game is average. so giving him more freedom would benefit mikel but surely not the team.

[Clevemayer 764]

people also said saviola will be the nxt big thing or or or. and "okocha skills"..yeah than this nigerian stuff must have been blind. this guy is technically limited and offensively poor. we didnt destroy him. he has had so much playing time over all the years and couldnt evolve in the right way.

obi was never that good as people labelled him. especially in africa people tend to overhype players.

having talent and potential and fullfilling it are two different things...wouldnt mind mikel staying though as another option in the midfield. he is surely better than romeu.

thats right I've had sky high hopes for Kakuta and Djalo, both didn't develop the right way, Kakuta because of his attitude and with Djalo... sometimes you miss that last step.

so Mikel has had and still have a great technique and he shields the ball second to none...

Been played with freedom and with the order to do what ever you want on the pitch (like mata or Hazard) in an specific area is different to been played in a position you are not familiar with and you then get ultra strong restrictions to stay as conservative as possible so the players around you can play with freedom...

So I don't agree with you on Mikel, he has great potential and great techniqe and we have a large share of responseability about him not fullfilling his potential...

Like said, My thoughts.

[The Skipper 20,593]

I personally thought Mikel in 06/07 was well on his way to become a very great player. Unfortunately he didn't fulfil that and I agree that we're partly to blame for that in misusing him as an anchorman. He's a completely different player for Nigeria as everything goes through him - his passing range is allowed to be exploited - his excellent shielding of the ball is more apparent as he gets the ball in more pressured situations...

It's a shame really. I'd still like to see what Mou does with him.