Mikel John Obi

[Rambo 1,729]

don't care what people think of him as long as he can produce performances like he did today.

[Kojo 4,676]

I expect this thread to be very quite for a while

You mean like when you said we would all miss mikel at ACON and we didn't?

He almost cost us twice with two stupid passes today which where simple, even with the passing he is supposedly good at, he still shows how incredibly weak he is to fit in with the attacking flow. Your earlier statement about how he is not been able to get the game forward because there is no movement, well against United it was some of the best movement we've made all season, 2nd half of course, and Mikel was still giving it away.

Honestly Mikel could do nothing all game and you would give him all the credit, if Mikel killed someone you would try to find some way to justfiy it.

Am i harsh? yes i am, but you're also too quick to over credit.

[Backstreet09 499]

You mean like when you said we would all miss mikel at ACON and we didn't?

He almost cost us twice with two stupid passes today which where simple, even with the passing he is supposedly good at, he still shows how incredibly weak he is to fit in with the attacking flow. Your earlier statement about how he is not been able to get the game forward because there is no movement, well against United it was some of the best movement we've made all season, 2nd half of course, and Mikel was still giving it away.

Honestly Mikel could do nothing all game and you would give him all the credit, if Mikel killed someone you would try to find some way to justfiy it.

Ermehgerd mate , you should be the president of America :wub:

P.S I'm out of likes

[Kojo 4,676]

Ermehgerd mate , you should be the president of America :wub:

P.S I'm out of likes

I just love how the fact that when the game changes, Mikel gets all the credit.

I remember last season, Lampard was taken off and i think it was Meireles or Anelka who was or even where put on in the midfield, and they hardly got any credit for changing the game, when that happened we dominated united and should of came back with 4 goals. That was when Torres missed the open goal, and a lot of other chances, but he still played very well that game, more lively than he has ever looked infact.

I actually liked Mikel last season, in AVB system the first set of games he was looking really good. But then once again he dissapointed, even though it was his time to flourish he still couldn't. Untill he starts putting in good games on a consistent basis then i will say i was wrong, but untill then i never see that happening. Infact if anything I've proven just everyone wrong at the end of last season. Everyone said i was an idiot, everyone said how stupid i was, i was the only one who was actually against Mikel being our starter, and now a lot of people agree with what i said, i bet some of them where the ones who even called me an idiot then.

[English Freak 456]

Regardless of Mikel's performance today, he's still an average player.

We need to solve our CM/DM problem for next season whilst Romeu gets match fit and Chalobah/Ake keep learning and improving on loan...

[Clevemayer 764]

You mean like when you said we would all miss mikel at ACON and we didn't?

you mean that period we lost most of our areal battles and seemed in need of a DM don't you?

that awkward moment when you realize the person you're talking with has an biased an opinion and don't realises when he fails...

[The Skipper 20,593]

I just love how the fact that when the game changes, Mikel gets all the credit.

He isn't getting all the credit though, if you look at the MOTM votes in the match day thread you'll see that easily. That's just something you've fixated in your mind out of your pure hatred for Mikel. What Mikel is getting praised for is the fact that when he came on he allowed Ramires to play on the counter and gave Oscar, Mata and Hazard a bigger platform to play on. In that sense he was pretty essential in our comeback. Give credit where credit's due.

For example, the two moments he lost the ball - why was there so much space for United to counter attack on? Because we were pushing for a goal, and our forward line pushed for a goal because Mikel allowed them to not worry too much about defending. The other players trust Mikel in that sense.

It's quite funny how you always highlight the bad with Mikel, and never the good. For example when he made that crucial interception from Valencia on the left whilst covering for A. Cole, or when he showed great composure and ball control and ghosted past 2 United players that were pressing him. Apart from that he also kept the ball ticking for us nicely, always offering a safehaven for our forward line when we were shifting the ball about.

He wasn't even my MOTM but he had a good game. I don't see why people aren't allowed to praise him because of that.

[Clevemayer 764]

I only hold Mikel in regret for ONE thing and thats like others have said consistency... whom says he has never seen Mikel play such games must be here AFTER we've won the CL...

he had many great games but more then one AVARAGE Game...

I really like Mikel I do, because its wonderfull to see him play with his cool nonchallance way and his tremendous touch... he really is unbeliveabale for his sice... his shielding, his accurate passes, his interception are all top top class... and he has shown it against Barca, Inter, quite often against Arsenal and ManUre, against a physical side like Sunderland, there are so many games you can watch him just tick in that midfield...

but I really expect ore of him... I don't want him to score to shoot to do the unbeliveable things and stuff but I just KNOW what he is capable of and its clearly to see this is not a one out of thousand games, I've seen better from hin then this 45 Min... it's just fun to reacit like other ppl. when he has had TWO errors all the season against Juve and City where he was REALLY to be held in regret for conceeding a goal, but nobody talks about the ctinioues failure of our attackers to move ain and around (despite Mata) and that errors of Cahill, Luiz, Chech, Lamps, FlOPPES and so on, they're all much worse and the worst thing out of all is that you whom just start telling others not to get carried away with ONE HALF of football probably rate Ramires in such a high regret who still dont has any ball stopping ability and any passing quality...

I expect more from Mikel, IF the guys infront of him do well, I expect more CONSISTENCY from Mikel, not in putting very good solid performances but to put a WORLDCLASS performance in nearly every game... he is no tranquerista and he is no Makelele, he isn't as quick as Maka (there fore he is much bigger) and he lacks one thing for an tranqueristar thats the deadly low ball between the lines, any other passing he is second to none and I will stand with this thing I've said there...

BUT... BUT peeps he has mor TEchnique then the great and beloved Maka, he is (yeah this so0unds unbeliveable) more composed, has more shielding quality and an wider range of passes and I really LOVE maka, I even try to immitate some of his moves but you have to give credit where it belongs...

Mikel lacks consistency in putting in WORLDCLASS Performances not very good solid and great performances... he does this pretty consistently... so stopp moaning about him being a very god midfielder... I just hold my head when I read comments from many of you... some have valid points some just get on my nerves.

Mikel needs a propper partner get KPB or Modric ASAP and put pressure on him with Romeu if he can't do so, get Capouet... he is top too...

[SinineUltra 1,164]

A great sub and he did change the game, very good with the ball. Only downside with Mikel is that he is absolutely no threat to the goal, he rarely tries and that takes one dimension out of his game - noone marks him in the edge of the box leaving more opponents in the box to mark the likes of Mata, Hazard etc.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Read that yesterday's second half was the first time Rafa played Oscar, Mata, Hazard and Mikel at the same time. Will have to double check on that but if true, that does speak volumes.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

You mean like when you said we would all miss mikel at ACON and we didn't?

He almost cost us twice with two stupid passes today which where simple, even with the passing he is supposedly good at, he still shows how incredibly weak he is to fit in with the attacking flow. Your earlier statement about how he is not been able to get the game forward because there is no movement, well against United it was some of the best movement we've made all season, 2nd half of course, and Mikel was still giving it away.

Honestly Mikel could do nothing all game and you would give him all the credit, if Mikel killed someone you would try to find some way to justfiy it.

Am i harsh? yes i am, but you're also too quick to over credit.

You're delusional if you think we did not miss Mikel. During Jan, we lost 3 games, drew 4 and only won 3. We let a lead slip 3 times in those games. I wonder what we needed to win instead? If only we had a player who player who would keep his discipline and stick to his defensive duties and allow us to keep the ball so we don't give the opponents chances to score..But where can find a player like that?

Mikel changed the game. Before he came on, utd were battering us for possession and we didn't get a single chance in the 10mins in the second half. Magically, after Mikel came on, we started to keep possession and build pressure on the utd defense and actually score goals. Not bad for a player who "contributes nothing to our attacks", right? Mikel was key to keeping us in the FA cup, don't know why you're so upset about?!

And in reply to some of the comments above, Mikel had an average game yesterday, in fact it was probably below his standards since some of his passing was uncharacteristically sloppy as mentioned above. But for once, everyone got to see the difference that Mikel makes in the team and how much the team plays better when he's in the lineup because he strengthens our midfield and allows players to go forward. How did yesterday differ from any of Mikel's performances? Can you point out one instance where Mikel was brilliant in yesterday?

People tend to judge footballers on certain instants and plays in matches and not their overall play; that is why Mikel is so underrated. But yesterday everyone got to see the difference that Mikel makes in the side and they're finally praising him for it (except for some sour grapes around here) but in reality, it was just a typical performance by Mikel.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Read that yesterday's second half was the first time Rafa played Oscar, Mata, Hazard and Mikel at the same time. Will have to double check on that but if true, that does speak volumes.

It is. I was actually whining about it when I saw the lineup before the match. It's no coincidence that our best results, even the run of excellent results under RDM that put us 7 clear at the top, were most, if not all, when we played a pivot of Rami-Mikel and had Mata and Hazard behind the striker (or Torres).

[The only place to be 11,313]

You mean like when you said we would all miss mikel at ACON and we didn't?

He almost cost us twice with two stupid passes today which where simple, even with the passing he is supposedly good at, he still shows how incredibly weak he is to fit in with the attacking flow. Your earlier statement about how he is not been able to get the game forward because there is no movement, well against United it was some of the best movement we've made all season, 2nd half of course, and Mikel was still giving it away.

Honestly Mikel could do nothing all game and you would give him all the credit, if Mikel killed someone you would try to find some way to justfiy it.

Am i harsh? yes i am, but you're also too quick to over credit.

Conversely, he could have the perfect game and you'd criticise him.

The truth is that he isn't as bad as you make out and he isn't as good as others suggest. He's in between and yesterday he had one of his better games so he deserves praise for that whilst bearing in mind that he doesn't do it consistently enough.

[Mundaka 243]

Read that yesterday's second half was the first time Rafa played Oscar, Mata, Hazard and Mikel at the same time. Will have to double check on that but if true, that does speak volumes

Well that was RDM's lineup, he played like that + rotated between lamps and ramires, i can see why he wouldnt want to do the same. Would prove RDM was right...

[ja1 1,166]

Mikel is a very underrated player. Glad he got that new contract earlier in the season, he'll be here a long time,

[The only place to be 11,313]

Mikel is a very underrated player. Glad he got that new contract earlier in the season, he'll be here a long time,

I hope that him and Chalobah get some time together in the summer so they can share experiences, discuss the game and in particular the attitude to the game.

That would surely be beneficial for Mikel. :eyebrows:

[Hamilton 2,118]

He did great yesterday, that's the Mikel we want to see.

[Clevemayer 764]

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/john-obi-mikel-its-time-to-stop-rafael-benitez-taunts-8529009.html