Mikel John Obi

[Jase 43,479]

It is exactly the same with Mikel's staunch supporters - they defend the indefensible, so it works both ways......

Not really. Sense that they are arguably a tad more sensible in their evaluation of Mikel..

[Tomo 21,733]

@Phil Driver, It's easy to say this currently while Ramires and Lampard are the in form pivot players but that hasn't always been the case.

This time last year the Mikel and Ramires pivot was winning us games at The Emirates and White Hart Lane.

[GodZola 630]

Not really. Sense that they are arguably a tad more sensible in their evaluation of Mikel..

Sorry mate but comprehensively disagree, there have been many ridiculous posts that are just lame excuses for his poor performance & inconsistency, whereas there are some posters that rate Mikel & will be honest enough to admit when he needs a boot up the 'arris'!

Very simiar to members like myself who do not believe Mikel is good enough but will be respectful when its appropriate.

[The Skipper 20,593]

@Phil Driver, It's easy to say this currently while Ramires and Lampard are the in form pivot players but that hasn't always been the case.

This time last year the Mikel and Ramires pivot was winning us games at The Emirates and White Hart Lane.

Don't bother mate.

[zolayes 14,489]

I think its like our striker situation ..we are stuck with Mikel Eto and Torres for the rest of the season... must trust Jose to make the best of it

[Jase 43,479]

Sorry mate but comprehensively disagree, there have been many ridiculous posts that are just lame excuses for his poor performance & inconsistency, whereas there are some posters that rate Mikel & will be honest enough to admit when he needs a boot up the 'arris'!

Very simiar to members like myself who do not believe Mikel is good enough but will be respectful when its appropriate.

There are some sensible ones on both sides, never said there weren't but those that are supposedly 'anti-Mikel' come up with even more silly excuses and reasons and blame him even when it's not his fault. Their 'opinions', if you can call it that, are arguably even more myopic than some others.

[Phil Driver 503]

Mikel has got away with it for far too long at Chelsea ,Mourinho is in charge of team selection now and if you perform you play ,if you do not you should be training at Cobham.

Realisation must be starting to manifest now ,there is no saving players who do not perform for Norwich . Essien played well and showed a great attitude v Swindon and he is rightly on the bench ,Mikel needs to wake up and perform ,the message should now be loud and clear to all . We will not carry passengers anymore ,Jose is back.

Maybe we are saving him for Nigeria ?

Ouch .

since the Spurs game where he played in the first half and we lost 1-0 (subbed) 2nd Half we won 1-0 we have played 3 away games Swindon won,Steau won and Norwich won ,his stats really do not get any better ,what does this add up to,? training alone at Cobham and rightly so, maybe Jose has noticed the effect he has on us .

The writing is surely on the wall for him when Essien is on the bench and a Christmas exit could be on the cards because Jose has sussed him.

I wish him all the best for Nigeria though .

What do we think,kick in the orchestras for him yesterday,with Essien on the bench,I think if Jose can get rid,he will at Christmas.

He slows us down and Jose has seen this ,it is very obvious and Jose was always going to see it quickly,Spurs away was the final nail for Obi,he needs a new club. Essien on the bench yesterday must have told him something?

[The Skipper 20,593]

What do we think,kick in the orchestras for him yesterday,with Essien on the bench,I think if Jose can get rid,he will at Christmas.

He slows us down and Jose has seen this ,it is very obvious and Jose was always going to see it quickly,Spurs away was the final nail for Obi,he needs a new club. Essien on the bench yesterday must have told him something?

I seriously don't know how you can come to such conclusions over a span of 2 and a half games.

I've seen you've reverted back to your "Jose doesn't rate Mikel" argument but where were you when he was being played two and a half games ago?

You really need to relax with your obsession over Mikel.

[Phil Driver 503]

It is the Essien inclusion that speaks volumes for me ,my obsession is with Chelsea winning,nothing else, youdo not think Essien on the bench was a signal?

We were told Obi was being saved for Norwich?

[The Skipper 20,593]

It is the Essien inclusion that speaks volumes for me ,my obsession is with Chelsea winning,nothing else, youdo not think Essien on the bench was a signal?

We were told Obi was being saved for Norwich?

No Phil, you cannot use one isolated game to prove your point sorry.

Had it been 4/5/6 consecutive games that Mikel didn't make the bench then you'd have a point. But until then...

[Rmpr 8,977]

I thought I'd never say that, but Mikel should start in the pivot instead of Lampard...

[Phil Driver 503]

Spurs subbed,Swindon,Steau and Norwich is three and a half and you can't see Mikel starting the next game,can you?

[hjperdeath 2,226]

Don't see Mikel starting against Cardiff. No point in starting from deep, we need to penetrate their defense. They'll also set up with two blocks of four. I see him coming back against City.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Don't see Mikel starting against Cardiff. No point in starting from deep, we need to penetrate their defense. They'll also set up with two blocks of four. I see him coming back against City.

Yeah, Frank should definitely start against Cardiff and he'll probably score as well. Mikel will play against Schalke or City.

[Phil Driver 503]

Not if Jose watches the tapes of Ya Ya v. Obi from recent matches.

[happy_juan 64]

Not if Jose watches the tapes of Ya Ya v. Obi from recent matches.

Has there ever been a bigger mismatch in world football?

Embarrassing does not even come close to describing Mikel's treatment at the hands of Toure.

[Phil Driver 503]

Letting players like YaYa Toure run at us,while we try to errect a static and square on wall on the edge of our box does not work against YaYa,we have seen that.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Be inclined to play Mikel against Cardiff and resting Lamps or Rami for the next two games, or maybe even throw Essien in against Cardiff. Ideally we'd keep the same team from the last two matches going for the next three but it's a big ask.

I can kinda see the logic of people saying we should put Mikel in against City because he's more defensively-minded, but that ignores two things.

1. His performance against Spurs when the same logic seemed applicable

2. His performance against City away last season, when the most impressive aspect of his game was his ability to fit his large frame inside Yaya Toure's pocket.

He needs to start putting in the consistent performances some people in this thread imagine he does. Then we'd have a truly world-class player in our squad.