Mikel John Obi

[hjperdeath 2,226]

And for the love of god please stop posting this video.

I have seen people post this video about 20 times in this thread for over a year. It's a poor argument when your resorting to shotting a video on Youtube of a compilation which only shows the good things from a player.

Funny thing is the video is only 3 and a half minutes long. That's with recording all his best parts of the season, I wouldn't exactly call that good for a so called 'key' player in our team.

I liked it . I saw it for the first time . Not over here . I like the player . My opinion so I posted it . I guess you are free to ignore .

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Mikel wouldn't in any of the other top 6 teams in the league, he wouldn't get in over Lucas, wouldn't get in over Carrick, he wouldn't get in over Toure or Fernandinho he wouldn't get in over Paulinho or Dembele and he wouldn't get in over Wilshere or Arteta.

Stop rating Mikel so highly, he didn't have great games, he was the passenger and always has been, why do you think people where expecting him to flourish in 2010/2011? Because people wanted to see more of him because he was just a passenger, he did his duty and nothing more, he always had cover and he always had much better players around him. 2010/2011 season Lampard was out half of the season but in no way was Mikel the best, once Lampard came back Mikel was on the bench for the rest of the season and that's how it worked.

If you really think Mikel made a difference that season you're sadly wrong, because once Essien, Malouda and Drogba went down hill we started losing lots of games, the bad november when we were losing to Birmingham and 3-0 at home to Sunderland, and you're trying to convince me that Mikel was our best player that season? Don't make me laugh, if the team doesn't perform then neither will Mikel and that's how it's always worked. He has never been great, he has only been able to compete in the team when he can get in it, and even then he had the likes of Ballack and Essien around him.

Now that we have lost those players look at him now, he has been terrible the past two seasons, overall bad. The final is the cheapest thing you could possibly do for your argument, and you're using it, everyone was good that final, all we did was defend. If Mikel couldn't do that then he is a Championship midfielder. We only had to defend, Mikel didn't have space to cover, we just had to park the bus, that's why Bosingwa and Kalou had good games yet you just don't get the point. As for the system 4-2-3-1 again you have missed the point, since when did I ever specifically say that formations justify the way you play? I never said that, stop picking it out like it's some flaw in my argument. Games against United and Bayern aren't going to happen very often, we aren't even going to play 10 of those games where we will be getting dominated and we have to play in our own half, so if you really think we are going to sit in our own half against the likes of Palace and West Ham then you aren't even giving me a chance in this argument.

Carrick had a 90% passing accruacy, but you know what? I can remember Carrick playing in long balls constantly, he was like Paul Scholes, he could pick out any movement up top. Does Mikel do that? No he doesn't, but what are you going to do about it? Bring up his ACON performances like you always do? Stats will now show how good Mikel is, he has a good first touch on him I'll admit, but you want to talk about passing he has gave it away a lot also, most of his passes are sideways or back to the defence, or if it is forward it's someone in lots of space right infront of him. He always plays it safe, but way to safe, his mentallity is awful, he's far too calm on the ball, he's no master at it either because he has made so many mistakes, his pass against Juventus which lost us 2 points, and remember when he got out muscled by fucking Charlie Adam against Liverpool, and they went 1-0 up? It was Cechs fault but Mikel made a meal of it he tried to shield of Charlie Adam and Charlie Adam actually out muscled him and got the ball, that is shocking for a player who is supposed to be this big strong guy of the team.

He has always been an average player, he doesn't contribtue to much, never scores goals, never makes the great passes, never benefits the team massively in defence, he's just a passenger and that's all he can get away with. You expect Mikel to be this maestro in the team saying he's putting in 'great' performance and then claiming later on in your posts that he will be the 'key' player. He can't be the key player because he doesn't do much besides play in an additional support role. And in the 4-2-3-1 when we have 4 attackers we can't do that, we can't have 'additional' players in the pivot. The only additional player is the one behind the striker, we need really good players behind who can cover space and add fluidity so they can swap roles. Mikel can't offer that, and that's why he wont be playing many games this season.

I seriously hope Marco Van Ginkel gets more games because he is better than Mikel in my honest opinion, like it or not but I like the guys attitude, he doesn't give up.

This holding midfielder role you keep referring to isn't going to happen, he lacks the pace to play there, it doesn't matter how close we play together every team gets countered, especially in this league. Mikel is a poor man marker, he can't keep track of his man, if he's going to be a holding midfielder it isn't going to work. In this system we don't need holding midfielders, we need central midfielders who are all around good. Ramires has a specific duty of covering ground and putting pressure on players, he's immense at it. The other midfielder has more say in the attack and covers many tracks and spaces, Lampard does well even for his age.

Mikel can't fit in that role and if you think he can adapt then you've got another thing coming.

The problem is with Mikel he does make other mistakes like other players your right, but Mikel doesn't make up for it, he doesn't put in good consistent performances his mistakes make him a liability because that's all he does. And sorry don't keep going on to me that no one gets his role and no one sees what he actually does, because we've had people like JDY in the past that have proven that one wrong. Not many people see that nowadays, just the ones who have great belief in Mikel. In our system we have no room for passengers, we have 4 attacking midfielders and it's not possible, we need world class players and ones who can fit in the team and do the job, Mikel can't do that.

The 09-10 season Mikel had a lot of cover, I agree that was probably his best season, because even I didn't mind Mikel then, I had great faith in him believe it or not, but then I watched him play without those players and that was that for me. When AVB was our mananger there was this debate on Mikel, and after the Laverkusen and Stoke game I had really high hopes of Mikel but then it all changed with the Valencia game and all those games after it, he just couldn't do it, he failed. He had the chance to make his spot into the team and he couldn't do it, no excuses Choulo he couldn't do it, and he has done this for the past two seasons. This isn't 09-10 anymore, that was a while ago mate, look at that team compared to the team we have now it's almost completely different. The way we play is completely different as well. In my opinion there has been a big reason why Mikel hasn't played many games and has been benched by the likes of a centre back and had less game time than a 20 year old so far.

I expected a more fair response that I can actually debate with you because that is what I did in my post. You hardly addressed any of the points I raised you're just saying that everything I said was wrong and that Mikel was always bad without even explaining anything. Saying that he never had any good games is just not true and you know it. Just a couple of minor notes: you can't say that he only plays well when we are dominated then point to the united games last season where we dominated their midfield. I've name more than a dozen great performances he's had in big games and you just picked a single one out and said that he only plays well when all we do is defend. And just to clarify, I brought up the formation because you said he would never fit in a 4-2-3-1 because he doesn't have pace and I was trying to explain that the two have no relation to each other. It was not meant to be "against you", in fact none of my post was; just because an opinion is different from your own does not mean that it's attacking you, no need to be so defensive.

I guess we'll just have to leave it at this because there is really nothing in common we can debate on..

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Yeah. You keep on posting factually incorrect claims and banning/warning people who point out those inaccuracies. You have the license mate.

I posted an opinion, not a fact. I warned you because you insist on ignoring me asking you to stop insulting people's opinions for no reason:

I suggest you have a look at this: http://forum.talkche...nion-tolerance/

I'm asking you, express any opinion you want, but please stop insulting other people's opinions.

And I'll never get why you take a simple discussion on a forum so seriously. You realize that neither of us will gain anything from this discussion, right?

And I've ignored your personal insults till now, but don't push it.

Why can't you ever make a post without personal insults?

And those are just in the past 15 pages. Do you really want me to dig up all insults you've aimed at people for expressing an opinion? The page won't even fit!

[Kojo 4,676]

Once again Choulo ignores the point that Mikel can't play in the system. I can't wait to see your reaction when Mikel is sold I really can't.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Once again Choulo ignores the point that Mikel can't play in the system. I can't wait to see your reaction when Mikel is sold I really can't.

Ignored it? I just made a foot long post trying to explain why I think that's not true but you just disregarded all the points I made and said that they're all just wrong without even explaining why!

[Kojo 4,676]

Ignored it? I just made a foot long post trying to explain why I think that's not true but you just disregarded all the points I made and said that they're all just wrong without even explaining why!

And I didn't make a big post? So your saying I made a post that big and didn't read yours and just ignored it? Believe what you want mate, but I have always thought your opinion has been delusional so I'm not going to agree it or respect it in anyway am I?

I've been going on about Mikel for far too long, And I was right about him whilst you where the one who wouldn't let go, the more you post the more you make just make it embarrassing for yourself. It's clear Mikel has no place in this time and you still can't accept it.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Once again Choulo ignores the point that Mikel can't play in the system. I can't wait to see your reaction when Mikel is sold I really can't.

Any truth to the rumours that clubs were put off bidding for Mikel because they thought Choulo might follow him?

[hjperdeath 2,226]

Thank god we have actual board members .

[Kojo 4,676]

Any truth to the rumours that clubs were put off bidding for Mikel because they thought Choulo might follow him?

He can't accept opinions, that's always been his problem, at least Skipper can accept an opinion, if you say a bad word about Mikel you get ridiculed.

[lucio 5,417]

lets see how he does today......

[hjperdeath 2,226]

Even if he was to score 10 goals, make a last ditch tackle ,end up stopping a potential world war 3 and remove his shirt to reveal the words " RAFA YOU FAT WANKER'' , we would still apparently want to sell him.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Even if he was to score 10 goals, make a last ditch tackle ,end up stopping a potential world war 3 and remove his shirt to reveal the words " RAFA YOU FAT WANKER'' , we would still apparently want to sell him.

I think most people would settle for consistent, imposing performances.

Don't buy into the scapegoat bullshit propagated by certain members.

[Fernando 6,376]

Men I was happy when Benitez realized the truth about Mikel and had him bench.

Now Mourinho putting Mikel back on......

[The only place to be 11,313]

Men I was happy when Benitez realized the truth about Mikel and had him bench.

Now Mourinho putting Mikel back on......

Good first half performance from him.

[Fernando 6,376]

Good first half performance from him.

To me is still the same mikel that slow down our plays and his millions side ways passing.

[robsblubot 3,244]

To me is still the same mikel that slow down our plays and his millions side ways passing.

yup. he can turn and pass sideways - give him a medal!

his contribution in attack is actually negative. Pretty embarrassing play when he got inside the box and lost possession on his own.

He's just a one-dimensional midfielder, which should not be good enough for Chelsea.

[lucio 5,417]

decent but want to see more dangerous passing. just stabbed it to no-one at the end

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Actually one of our best players today (not saying much I know) but many people have already decided he's a major problem with the team so I doubt he'll get any recognition. He had a couple of bad plays but had a lot of great tackles and some very good passes as well. He led the team in tackles, interceptions, aerial duels, and passing percentage. He was also one of the only players to actually seem to know his position on the pitch and stay in his lanes.