Mikel John Obi

[Kojo 4,676]

Yeah I'll give him some credit, him and Ramires where actually pretty good yesterday.

To be honest no one even played that bad yesterday, like as individuals except for Torres, we where just bad as a team as whole, i just thought the tactics where completely wrong.

Suarez had so much space, but that's not because of the pivot, because the pivot had their hands full, but Mazacar was playing too high. They did come back and track back very well, but in the end it just wasn't enough to stop Liverpool, they came into the game with huge spirit where we didn't.

[Leif 6,006]

i just thought the tactics where completely wrong.

How were the tactics completely wrong if we controlled much of the first half, were comfortable enough for the second, and the only reason we didn't get the full 3 points was because the ref decided to let the game go on past full time which is when they scored using a player who should have been red carded earlier?

[The only place to be 11,313]

He wasn't that bad yesterday but not great. I've stuck up for him in the past but hes been quite poor recently (before Liverpool game), very inconsistent too especially after that game we drew 2-2 at Old Trafford. If he'd play as well as he did against United, Arsenal and Spurs this season more often he'd be one hell of a player. I agree with whoever said he seems to be better in bigger games, hes been shit against smaller teams. Its been an odd year for him, started good, form got patchy, been poor for a bit, good game against United then very inconsistent since.

The United match is overrated (assuming you mean the cup one at their gaff). Their midfield is fairly appalling and doesn't put pressure on other team's midfield. It's their weak link that has been exposed countless times.

ANY team and I can't put enough emphasis on the ANY part that puts pressure on our pivot, in particular Mikel has had success. He's our weak link - look at Southampton away or Steaua at home for recent examples. He's a passenger who looks good if other players carry him or opposition teams stand off him.

No-one who gives a shit about this club in even the slightest way, or has even the slightest knowledge about football can continually defend this guy and see him as a lynchpin in this team going forward on current form.

[Kojo 4,676]

How were the tactics completely wrong if we controlled much of the first half, were comfortable enough for the second, and the only reason we didn't get the full 3 points was because the ref decided to let the game go on past full time which is when they scored using a player who should have been red carded earlier?

Well like the discussion in the 'Suarez' thread, we can't blame Suarez for the match, I'm not saying you said that, but I'm bringing it up because we where simply not good enough from the start. First half i thought we where lucky to be ahead, then 2nd half Liverpool could've easily netted 3 against us, Gerrard one on one, Sturridge hitting the post, free kick right outside the box. But they really did have the upper hand, and none of our players played bad in general, we just didn't have the right approach from game.

It's hard to outplay liverpool in big games, as they are always big game players, but we really didn't play this one right at all. Yeah sure the referee fucked the game up, but you look at it overall Liverpool where the much better side.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Did you actually watch the whole 90 minutes? He was good in the first-half, but we completely lost control of the second-half. Having read this thread and your contributions, I can't take you seriously on Mikel. You talk utter shit about him simply to wind people up and now you're saying he's got good leadership skills?? Are you trolling the Chelsea fans in this thread?

Here's a little advice: You can always skip my posts in this thread if they annoy you so much..

Another little advice: Try to learn to argue without trying to discredit other people's opinions. Their opinions are worth just as much as yours, you know?

He wasn't that bad yesterday but not great. I've stuck up for him in the past but hes been quite poor recently (before Liverpool game), very inconsistent too especially after that game we drew 2-2 at Old Trafford. If he'd play as well as he did against United, Arsenal and Spurs this season more often he'd be one hell of a player. I agree with whoever said he seems to be better in bigger games, hes been shit against smaller teams. Its been an odd year for him, started good, form got patchy, been poor for a bit, good game against United then very inconsistent since. Same with a lot of players actually.

I think we should get a player who compliments him in the pivot, a Alonso-esque player who can dictate play from deep and create but also help him getting stuck in to opposition midfielders. Lampard and Ramires aren't the greatest options for it but right now out of the two Rami is the best for it.

Yeah, he certainly hasn't had a good month except the games against United. Could be fatigue or just could be that he's off-form atm. But I honestly thought he was very good yesterday, especially in the first half where he broke up play nicely and was composed enough to find the right pass (unllike Luiz who was just playing the long ball to no one in particular every time).

[The only place to be 11,313]

Here's a little advice: You can always skip my posts in this thread if they annoy you so much..

Another little advice: Try to learn to argue without trying to discredit other people's opinions. Their opinions are worth just as much as yours, you know?

Sorry, isn't discrediting other people's opinions the point of arguing? You raise a point, I tell you why it's wrong and then I tell you what you should think instead? That's a little blunt, but isn't that why people argue? Also it's a misnomer that opinions are all equal and are all valid - some are just plain wrong.

Yeah, he certainly hasn't had a good month except the games against United. Could be fatigue or just could be that he's off-form atm. But I honestly thought he was very good yesterday, especially in the first half where he broke up play nicely and was composed enough to find the right pass (unllike Luiz who was just playing the long ball to no one in particular every time).

Again, did you actually watch the match or are you simply trying to read into his game from the stats? You might have a point that Luiz plays too many long passes but he's had some success with them recently and he was obviously trying to get Torres over the top against slow players like Carragher.

The fact that you thought he was 'very good' just shows how biased you are. I don't know if you feel like you've defended him so much that you can't criticise him without looking foolish but it's fine to do that. I was critical about Ramires but he's really stepped up in recent months and carried that midfield when Lamps and MIkel have performed poorly. No-one will think any less of you for admitting you were wrong about him.

[OneMoSalah 8,611]

The United match is overrated (assuming you mean the cup one at their gaff). Their midfield is fairly appalling and doesn't put pressure on other team's midfield. It's their weak link that has been exposed countless times.

ANY team and I can't put enough emphasis on the ANY part that puts pressure on our pivot, in particular Mikel has had success. He's our weak link - look at Southampton away or Steaua at home for recent examples. He's a passenger who looks good if other players carry him or opposition teams stand off him.

No-one who gives a shit about this club in even the slightest way, or has even the slightest knowledge about football can continually defend this guy and see him as a lynchpin in this team going forward on current form.

What about his impressive start when we were top of the league? You can't just say it was Hazard and Mata because the back 4 and Mikel/Ramires/Lampard all played their part. I know a lot of people on here think its odd that myself and others like to 'defend' Mikel when sometimes he is fucking awful but hes a good player. Everyone complains about his slow, sideways passing but would you prefer to see him play it safer like that retaining possession or say Luiz/Lampard constantly punting it 60 yards to no one? The style we are trying to implement is based on ball retention and hes one of the better players in our squad for it. Technically hes better than all our other MF players. He holds the ball very well and completes the most passes per game usually. The movement from Torres is usually not there half the time so what does he have to aim at? The onrushing Daniel Agger/Vincent Kompany/Nemanja Vidic's head usually because Torres isn't great at winning aerial battles against those guys.

Also the game we played at the Bridge against United when Robbie was in charge, Mikel had a very good game too. Ok maybe it doesn't count for much as we lost but he was very good along with Ramires in the pivot. He goes under the radar in good games but when the team loses hes always the first to blame. I know everyone has different opinions on him as it was the same with Kalou everyone either hates or loves him OR hes the scapegoat. The game vs Juve, everyone blamed Mikel for that second goal when it was actually JT's mistake.... nobody blamed JT, it was all about Mikels pass even though it took Juve about 30-40 seconds later to actually do something and play the pass to Quagdiriella (honestly fuck this guys name)

[The only place to be 11,313]

What about his impressive start when we were top of the league? You can't just say it was Hazard and Mata because the back 4 and Mikel/Ramires/Lampard all played their part. I know a lot of people on here think its odd that myself and others like to 'defend' Mikel when sometimes he is fucking awful but hes a good player. Everyone complains about his slow, sideways passing but would you prefer to see him play it safer like that retaining possession or say Luiz/Lampard constantly punting it 60 yards to no one? The style we are trying to implement is based on ball retention and hes one of the better players in our squad for it. Technically hes better than all our other MF players. He holds the ball very well and completes the most passes per game usually. The movement from Torres is usually not there half the time so what does he have to aim at? The onrushing Daniel Agger/Vincent Kompany/Nemanja Vidic's head usually because Torres isn't great at winning aerial battles against those guys.

Oh the pass completion argument. I don't have a problem with him passing the ball sideways. That's ESSENTIAL to our style of play sometimes, especially when we're looking to bring the full-backs into the game. Don't mistake me for someone who doesn't understand the game of football. I know EXACTLY what he's supposed to do.

It's the ponderous nature of his play I can't stand. He takes extra touches when he really doesn't need to and that slows our play down. Yesterday he was passing behind players (Bertrand a number of times) which again slows down our momentum. People seem to confuse slow play with thoughtful play, but we need a guy there who can control a ball and move it on - TWO TOUCHES are all you need sometimes, but there's no sense of urgency with him and that only grows when he's asked to defend. His lack of effort is despicable sometimes.

I get why people defend him. In theory he's got everything you could want and he's been around for a while but he seems to have regressed in my opinion. He's lucky Romeu got injured because he looked to be growing into the role well, defending ferociously and passing quickly.

Also the game we played at the Bridge against United when Robbie was in charge, Mikel had a very good game too. Ok maybe it doesn't count for much as we lost but he was very good along with Ramires in the pivot. He goes under the radar in good games but when the team loses hes always the first to blame. I know everyone has different opinions on him as it was the same with Kalou everyone either hates or loves him OR hes the scapegoat. The game vs Juve, everyone blamed Mikel for that second goal when it was actually JT's mistake.... nobody blamed JT, it was all about Mikels pass even though it took Juve about 30-40 seconds later to actually do something and play the pass to Quagdiriella (honestly fuck this guys name)

He doesn't go under the radar. Chelsea supporters know exactly what they're looking at so the 'you're too stupid to understand what Mikel is' argument really doesn't need another airing. And you're also misremembering the Juve incident. He stood around having given the ball away and yes JT stepped up, but that was all the result of Mikel's slack passing and laziness in defending.

Trying to defend that incident really is a lost cause.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Sorry, isn't discrediting other people's opinions the point of arguing? You raise a point, I tell you why it's wrong and then I tell you what you should think instead? That's a little blunt, but isn't that why people argue? Also it's a misnomer that opinions are all equal and are all valid - some are just plain wrong.

No the point is it to prove, by logic that is clear to the majority of people, that your opinion is more viable. Trying to discredit the other people by trying to paint a picture of them that they are not 'fit' enough to give an opinion (Like question if I watched the match) is just weak attempt to hide that you don't have faith in the logic in your opinion or your own skills to prove it.

Again, did you actually watch the match or are you simply trying to read into his game from the stats? You might have a point that Luiz plays too many long passes but he's had some success with them recently and he was obviously trying to get Torres over the top against slow players like Carragher.

I don't want to get into a debate about the horrible game Luiz played yesterday, but I think it is quite clear that the better option yesterday was the composed short passing. I watched the game (twice as a matter of fact) and, again, I though Mikel was very good for reasons I've already stated twice.

The fact that you thought he was 'very good' just shows how biased you are. I don't know if you feel like you've defended him so much that you can't criticise him without looking foolish but it's fine to do that. I was critical about Ramires but he's really stepped up in recent months and carried that midfield when Lamps and MIkel have performed poorly. No-one will think any less of you for admitting you were wrong about him.

Great theory, except I do criticize Mikel, every time he has a bad game, as well as in general. I've said many times that he's slow and needs to react faster at times. In fact, in the same post you just quoted, I said he's had a bad month and is off-form atm

[The only place to be 11,313]

No the point is it to prove, by logic that is clear to the majority of people, that your opinion is more viable. Trying to discredit the other people by trying to paint a picture of them that they are not 'fit' enough to give an opinion (Like question if I watched the match) is just weak attempt to hide that you don't have faith in the logic in your opinion or your own skills to prove it.

Wait.....so asking you if you watched a match that you're giving an opinion of is 'unfair'?? I asked you because I wasn't sure if you watched the match.

As for logic, we're talking about football. Logic has it's place but there's no definitive measure of whether a player is good enough (sorry to all those people who put so much faith in stats). I have faith in my opinion and I'm quite happy to back-up my points.

I'm also man enough to admit when I'm wrong.

I don't want to get into a debate about the horrible game Luiz played yesterday, but I think it is quite clear that the better option yesterday was the composed short passing. I watched the game (twice as a matter of fact) and, again, I though Mikel was very good for reasons I've already stated twice.

Luiz didn't have a horrible game. He probably should've done better with the Suarez goal but I don't think you're prepared to countenance the possibility of the midfield having a detrimental effect on our team's performance. I've criticised Ramires, Mikel and Lamps for poor performances there and in every game this season that we've lost, it's been a factor.

Well done for watching the game twice though.

Great theory, except I do criticize Mikel, every time he has a bad game, as well as in general. I've said many times that he's slow and needs to react faster at times. In fact, in the same post you just quoted, I said he's had a bad month and is off-form atm

The problem is your definition of a bad game for Mikel is seemingly worlds away from what most Chelsea fans think.

I honestly think you should stop talking about him because the crap you spout about him actually makes him a more loathsome character. Mikel wouldn't be nearly such an annoyance if he didn't have people defending him from criticism. It's like when backstreet defends Torres or Rupert defends Rafa - it's unnecessary and contrarian for the sake of it.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Wait.....so asking you if you watched a match that you're giving an opinion of is 'unfair'?? I asked you because I wasn't sure if you watched the match.

As for logic, we're talking about football. Logic has it's place but there's no definitive measure of whether a player is good enough (sorry to all those people who put so much faith in stats). I have faith in my opinion and I'm quite happy to back-up my points.

I'm also man enough to admit when I'm wrong.

Luiz didn't have a horrible game. He probably should've done better with the Suarez goal but I don't think you're prepared to countenance the possibility of the midfield having a detrimental effect on our team's performance. I've criticised Ramires, Mikel and Lamps for poor performances there and in every game this season that we've lost, it's been a factor.

Well done for watching the game twice though.

The problem is your definition of a bad game for Mikel is seemingly worlds away from what most Chelsea fans think.

I honestly think you should stop talking about him because the crap you spout about him actually makes him a more loathsome character. Mikel wouldn't be nearly such an annoyance if he didn't have people defending him from criticism. It's like when backstreet defends Torres or Rupert defends Rafa - it's unnecessary and contrarian for the sake of it.

Hmmm...Nop, sorry, I'll continue to express my opinion, but thanks for the suggestion..

[NiclasCFC 2,582]

[samsemia 4]

They have the same birthday?

[The only place to be 11,313]

They have the same birthday?

It is amazing to think isn't it.

One is a man, a leader in our team and someone we can be proud of.

The other is Mikel.

[robsblubot 3,205]

Torres was certainly our worst player against Liverpool, but Mikel and Bertrand were tied for second.

Mikel is so fucking slow for the DM position... he can't really cover, because he's got no pace to move quickly to wherever he is needed. Once a player has beaten him, which a slightest change of direction in pace does, that's it, Mikel cannot recover. Watch the game and count how many times, Mikel is tracking back and is dead last to arrive...

Mikel's is also really really poor on the ball. And I'm not talking about his piss-poor passing, but how long it takes him to pass the ball. Because of his poor first touch, it takes a a second or two for him to get control of the football until he can pass it to the player nearby. So much so that it is Luiz who's given the ball to distribute, not Mikel.

Defender's mistakes are easier to spot, as are strikers mistakes. But those are just 3 players... what about the others? Besides, games are won and lost in the midfield.

[Amblève. 4,995]

Happy birthday big fella!

Gonna retire a legend at Chelsea some day and shut up some people on here.

[manpe 10,855]

I'm sure this has been posted here before, but this is the first time I've read it:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2013/apr/08/john-obi-mikel-chelsea-europa-league'>Mikel John Obi dismisses Europa League as 'Thursday nights, Channel 5'

I think it's safe to concede that this guy has an attitude problem.

[Amblève. 4,995]

Actually there's nothing wrong with what he said. I mean, do you want him to say "Yay, it's a dream come true to play in the EL!"? He's aiming for bigger things than fucking EL and that, if anything, is the only and right attitude. He knows where Chelsea belongs and wants us to play there again. It's called "ambition". Jeez...

Also, where does the author of the article get the "Chelsea's Mikel John Obi believes Champions League qualification is more important than winning the Europa League." phrase from?!