Mikel John Obi

[CHOULO19 24,332]

A couple of mistakes in the first 10 mins when the whole team looked shaky, but was excellent apart from that. Him and Rami retrieved the ball very well something we've missed when lampard plays in the pivot. Another thing I noticed is that he was very good in the air tonight. Won a lot of headers. Keep it up John.

[Jase 43,479]

Wonder if some will come to say he's rubbish and used Lampard's assist shortly after he came on to downplay Mikel...

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Apart from the horrid first 10mins, he was fantastic. Rarely lost the ball and seemed faster in his distribution than i've ever seen before. Keep up that high tempo mikel

[blu35_army 551]

all he must to improve his distribution to our 3's,,not always backpass to Terry or Cahill...

[Clevemayer 764]

Apart from the horrid first 10mins, he was fantastic. Rarely lost the ball and seemed faster in his distribution than i've ever seen before. Keep up that high tempo mikel

thats what I'm whitnessing too. I have seen it since Mou has came back, as if he was listening to me, but wouldn't expect anything else from the best Manager in the World. Mikel lacked aggresiveness and despite his big physicality somehow stamnia, you could see it in the interview after his goal against Fullham, he was exhaust, and this was one of his best matches this season. And everytime you see he isn't good enoug, it seems Mou takes him aside in training, and trains his aggressiveness, and despite not to start as much games as before, he has great words for mou and always smiles in training.

Maybe, just maybe Mou can get him to that stamnia level, that he gan work for 90 mins and still be fit and sharp, so he would have all he was missing to be a top top player. After 2 Seasons my hopes get higher the longer he plays under Mou.

But Mou fought to get him and said about the very fist trainingsession "We have found Nigerian gold", so he must exactly know what he wants from Mikel but couldn't fulfill his legacy with him. maybe happy end?

[The only place to be 11,313]

Thought he was a liability in the first 10-15 minutes but he kicked on and once Schalke opened up and went looking for the goal he seemed composed and in control.

The problem is what happens if we don't get that fluke of a first goal and Schalke continued to defend deep? It worked well last night and he probably deserves a start against West Brom, but it could be more of the same.

[bushman 2,043]

According to his ability, Mikel played well enough yesterday. He ought to be used more often, I feel.

[Phil Driver 503]

Jeez he was awful ,he kept giving the ball away and was close to conceding a penalty and we were totally overrun in the first half and make no mistake they should have been two up untill very alert play by Eto'o got us in front ,then when we were in control he got a bit more space and reverted to his sideways stuff and Rammy seems to suffer badly when paired with Mikel he is left alone to engage the opposition midfield while Mikel just sits back . A welcome victory but his shortcomings are still there and we really should have gone two down in this game.

[Clevemayer 764]

Jeez he was awful ,he kept giving the ball away and was close to conceding a penalty and we were totally overrun in the first half and make no mistake they should have been two up untill very alert play by Eto'o got us in front ,then when we were in control he got a bit more space and reverted to his sideways stuff and Rammy seems to suffer badly when paired with Mikel he is left alone to engage the opposition midfield while Mikel just sits back . A welcome victory but his shortcomings are still there and we really should have gone two down in this game.

when fans start gett'n ridiculous and embrass themselfs...

[Phil Driver 503]

The first tweny minutes were terrible we should have been two down ,did you not watch? Eto'o's goal changed it for us but untill then we were awful and Mikel stunk untill he got some room for sideways passes.

[Special Juan 27,439]

Thought he was a liability in the first 10-15 minutes but he kicked on and once Schalke opened up and went looking for the goal he seemed composed and in control.

The problem is what happens if we don't get that fluke of a first goal and Schalke continued to defend deep? It worked well last night and he probably deserves a start against West Brom, but it could be more of the same.

This.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Jeez he was awful ,he kept giving the ball away and was close to conceding a penalty and we were totally overrun in the first half and make no mistake they should have been two up untill very alert play by Eto'o got us in front ,then when we were in control he got a bit more space and reverted to his sideways stuff and Rammy seems to suffer badly when paired with Mikel he is left alone to engage the opposition midfield while Mikel just sits back . A welcome victory but his shortcomings are still there and we really should have gone two down in this game.

We had a problem vs Newcastle and Jose was going to work out a solution. The best manager in the world knew that we needed to bench Frank Lampard. Trust Jose and me on this, we need someone who can pass and that is why Mikel will start every single game from now till the end of the season :D :D

#PostLikePhill

This is really fun, Phill, now I get why you do it!

[Phil Driver 503]

We had a problem vs Newcastle and Jose was going to work out a solution. The best manager in the world knew that we needed to bench Frank Lampard. Trust Jose and me on this, we need someone who can pass and that is why Mikel will start every single game from now till the end of the season :D :D

#PostLikePhill

This is really fun, Phill, now I get why you do it!

Can we quote you on that? The first twenty minutes last night were awful we should have been 2-0 down and most of it was down to Mikel he stunk until Eto'o got the goal,did Mikel look good on TV?

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Can we quote you on that? The first twenty minutes last night were awful we should have been 2-0 down and most of it was down to Mikel he stunk until Eto'o got the goal,did Mikel look good on TV?

Of course that's not my opinion! I was just showing you how your posts look from the other side

Yeah, he had a bad start, but so did Azpi, Cahill and even JT. The goal had nothing to do with how Mikel and the team as whole performed because we regained control of the match long before Eto'o scored. From around the 15 min till the 90th Mikel consistently won headers, made tackles, kept and passed the ball under pressure, and most importantly combined very well with Rami to press the opponents in the center and force error from them; something we rarely ever see with Rami-Lamps.

[ChelseasMessiah 304]

Jose more than anyone knows the value and balance Mikel brings to our side. There was no spaces in our midfield yesterday, our back four was duly shielded and that was down to him, not to mention the way he frees up Ramires.

He's had 5 or 6 great games in a row, the shirt is his and I don't see anyone capable of taking it away from him in the holding role.

[Phil Driver 503]

It was ust like the first half v Spurs a better team would have killed us ,Mikel was dreadful live ,what was he like on TV have not seen it ,the MH were slating him for his errors they should have been 2-0 up,Eto'os goal was a massive relief and lets be honest Shalke are terrible we beat them 3-0 away.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

thats what I'm whitnessing too. I have seen it since Mou has came back, as if he was listening to me, but wouldn't expect anything else from the best Manager in the World. Mikel lacked aggresiveness and despite his big physicality somehow stamnia, you could see it in the interview after his goal against Fullham, he was exhaust, and this was one of his best matches this season. And everytime you see he isn't good enoug, it seems Mou takes him aside in training, and trains his aggressiveness, and despite not to start as much games as before, he has great words for mou and always smiles in training.

Maybe, just maybe Mou can get him to that stamnia level, that he gan work for 90 mins and still be fit and sharp, so he would have all he was missing to be a top top player. After 2 Seasons my hopes get higher the longer he plays under Mou.

But Mou fought to get him and said about the very fist trainingsession "We have found Nigerian gold", so he must exactly know what he wants from Mikel but couldn't fulfill his legacy with him. maybe happy end?

The only problems i had with him were, his slow tempo and ball distribution(even though he is highly talented for this)

The most important is the tempo, if he speeds up his passing the defence will be caught of guard and concede (see eto's second goal and arsenals goal vs dortmund: fast passing = more goals)

So i was happy to see that improve, and he was always available for a pass.

[Jase 43,479]

I know people have their opinion and all but there is no win-win situation about Mikel with Phil Driver, does it? Even when Mikel played well, he finds excuses and reasons from elsewhere to lambast him as opposed to judging his performance on that game alone objectively. And yet, if that had been Lampard, he would have been wanking all over him like he put in a Messi-esque performance against Schalke..

all he must to improve his distribution to our 3's,,not always backpass to Terry or Cahill...

If someone forward actually make themselves available as a passing option, we wouldn't be see so much of this ridiculous backpasses between the CBs and DM. And on the other hand, if you are gonna criticize Mikel for that, then the same should be leveled on Terry and Cahill or our CBs in general.