7 years. John Obi Mikel has been at Chelsea for 7 years.
Although this may seem surreal, Mikel has gone through 8 managers in 7 years. His 9th manager is the reason he’s at the club, the reason he decided to snub Manchester United in favour of working for a young, cocky and arrogant Jose Mourinho.
He said recently of Jose, “Everywhere he goes, players tend to work for Mourinho and fight for him. He knows how to motivate players, how to get the best out of you. From day one, he tells you what he wants from you and that’s exactly how it’s going to be.”
Having been pictured wearing a Manchester United shirt, Mikel felt his dream move had arrived, until Chelsea and Mourinho completely hijacked the move, and turned his head towards the blue of Chelsea, who were fresh off major success.
We were packed in midfield with top players – Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Claude Makelele. New signing Michael Ballack and Lassana Diarra, waiting in the wings from the 2005/06 season to take over from Makelele, were also determined to get themselves a regular place in the side. Despite United being so close to getting Mikel to sign on, he found a better challenge, with better money at Chelsea. He felt he could bulldoze his way into our midfield.
He knew his time would come, and bulldoze he did.
Not getting a real run in the team until Michael Essien’s injury during Scolari’s reign, and despite establishing himself as a holding midfielder under Mourinho, Mikel became a firm favourite of the Brazilian manager, and was deployed into an anchor role, one which ‘Maka’ made his own. Groomed to be an attacking midfielder, it was obvious where Mikel’s strengths were – Covering our back 4, winning aerial challenges, intercepting and making swift decisions to get the ball into attack.
To this date, not many understand Mikel’s responsibility, although his errors are forever highlighted, with neon paint slapped all over it for all to see.
To me, a fan of the anchor role, it’s extremely obvious where Mikel’s problem is. Rewinding back to Carlo Ancelotti’s time at Chelsea, we were extremely comfortable in a 4-3-3. The reason for this was because with Mikel in the anchor role, Lampard, Ballack and Ramires were given the green light to join attacks, strictly because Mikel, as mentioned a groomed attacking midfielder, would stay disciplined and put the team before himself by sitting deep in front of our defence throughout the 90 minutes of every game.
He had grown used to having midfield defensive responsibilities, so much so that when Robbie Di Matteo took charge, Mikel looked out of place on several occasions in our midfield pivot, with the formation being 4-2-3-1. He didn’t seem confident of his midfield partner at all. With Ramires and Lampard making timeless runs into the box to help our attack, Mikel then had to revert from an anchor midfielder to a pivot midfielder, something that is difficult to do given that most teams have learned the art of counter-attacking.
A quote from Robbie’s reign when 4-2-3-1 had become our standard formation, Mikel said, “It’s important playing in that deeper role, if there is one or two of you, that when you have the ball you have players full of confidence who want it off you,’ he points out. ‘It makes it easy to release the ball quickly, and it’s something we are doing more now. It makes my job a lot easier. When we lose the ball I have to be the man to start the defence or make sure everything is in order and we are in shape. Everyone is doing their job well right now.”
Verdict
It worked when it really mattered – Against Barcelona, and against Bayern Munich. After that, it became a problem. I don’t agree with those that say Mikel is useless, I just think he’s the wrong man to put in a 4-2-3-1, due to his static approach in midfield, and because of his new-found defensive instinct. He feels he’s capable of being the only man in midfield. I’m all for a player like Daniele De Rossi moving to Chelsea, someone our club has been crying out for since Carlo’s second season as Chelsea manager, however, I feel Mikel still has a major part to play in our team. The use of 4-3-3 is where Mikel will excel, undoubtedly. We should even try a 4-1-4-1 or a 4-1-3-2 or a 4-3-2-1, to make use of Mikel’s best ability, being the player that covers the back 4.
Of course, in this day and age, 4-2-3-1 is being used by most teams, which calls for more dynamic midfielders like De Rossi, and even David Luiz to take their position in.
One has to remember that we haven’t got a number of defensive midfielders at the club. Mikel, Romeu and Luiz seem to be the only ones capable of taking up the role, however Mikel and Luiz are the only ones capable of putting in decent shifts in a midfield pivot.
I don’t see Mikel as a waste of space at Chelsea, he loves working with Mourinho, and Mourinho hasn’t really gotten a chance to play Mikel in his midfield for games. All will be revealed after pre-season regarding Mikel, but on a personal note, I still think he’s more than capable, and is Chelsea standard.
Whatever the outcome, I’m sure Mikel’s absence or presence will have an affect on our style of football, so it is a story worth keeping track of.
Leave me your thoughts below!
I still wnt him to stay blue 4 life
Sahil! You are totally spot- on on this. I totaly agree with you.
stayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy……
SINCE I STATED FOLLOWING FOOTBALL, I HAVEN’T SEEN A MIDFIELDER BEING IN A CLUB FOR NOT SCORING EVEN A GOAL IN THE EPL. EVEN DIFENDERS OF THE TEAM ARE HAVEN GOALS THAN HIM.
YES, CAPITAL YES HE MUST LEAVE TO ANOTHER CLUB.
I know its your opinion but if you mention few midfielder that score more goal last season
Makelele only scored 2 goals in Chelsea.
Mikel scored 2 goals.
Many football fans enjoy and appreciate attackers more than others in the team simply because they score goals, ignoring guys whose job is ‘dirty’. What Mikel does for Chelsea is ‘dirty job’, covering for the back four, thwarting opposition’s efforts at all costs.
Whether he should leave or not depends on him and particularly the coach, who ‘ironically’ brought him to the club.
How many ‘goals’ has Tiote scored for Newcastle, or how many did Makalele score for Chelsea and Mardrid? True Defensive midfielders don’t bother about goal because its not about their goals but the job they do for the team. I.e break up opposition attack, be a shield for the back four and start a counter-attack.
Let john obi mikel go beacuse he does not know his work as a densive mifider
I think we must sell him to make room for Van Ginkel
stay we want u nd dont afraid of playing u must play ur role.
me as a person i luv his style of play
atta u must be an idiot
He should leave. Can you imagine a potential De Rossi/ Luiz partnership? Or even Rossi/ Lampard/ramires/MvG partnership. He would definitely fix the pivot. Mikels time is up its time for him to go and make way for De Rossi!!!!!!!!!!
and how long can ur precious de Rossi play? we are talking of old de Rossi not the young one. beside, I won’t substitute certainty for uncertainty.. mikel is our certainty, wether do Rossi will do well in Chelsea is uncertain.
I love dis guy more dan any oda player in d world
Every Ghananian has sixthy percents of madness in his blood
John Obi Mikel,is a very good player,if Morinho plays him as a offensive midfield he will do the job well.take a look at the Super Eagles of Nigeria at the AFCON 2013 and just concluded Confederation cup i believe his best is yet to come.lets flash back to Barcelona and Bayern in 2012 Mikel did a wonderful job to chelsea.my club chelsea should not sell Obi Mikel because he his useful to the team.
Mou wouldn’t be mad to let him go, even he is the one killing him. Those mata, oscar,fabregas are not better than him, it’s that mou that destroy him. Fuck him if he let him leave.
Mou is a bastard for killing Mikel’s attacking instinct.
mikel mst stay
In my own personal opinion, mickel should stay put with chelsea.
In my own personal opinion, mickel should stay put with chelsea. And invest his talent with jose.
Mikel’s real gem! What else did u expect from this guy coz he’s one the fewest chelsea players that played according to Manager’s instruction.I’m in supporting of any decision he take pertaining to his career coz he’ll always be my guy!
mikel must stay put. Can’t imagine old De rossi playing in the place of our strong, reliable and injury free mikel who has helped this great club in so many big competition. Mikel is a good player and currently he’s the best player Nigeria has gotten.
I will advice chelsea fc to keep hold of him cos presently in the world there’s no holding midfielder as reliable as Mikel, if we let him leave I bet it we gonna pay for it cos we still need to pass the leagcy and style of play of this club to the younger ones we are recruiting and mikel can actually do this by showing the likes of Van ginkel how we do it here at chelseafc.
My conclusion is this J.O.M must stay.Blues for life!!!
Mikel is one of intelligent midfielder so don’t mind either he score or not, i don’t like Mikel to be sell out of stamford bridge
I totally support all what you said about him, I never know there Ȋ̝̊̅§ someone who loves the player in the world more than I do..even De rossi cannot fit in to our Tradition at Chelsea, De rossi wasn’t a player like maka, Marcel desaily, only Mikel follows the Tradition, Chelsea need to keep Mikel so he can bring up. Van Kingel in that Role..I know people who crictizise him now will praise him at the world Cup.. If chelsea sell him, it will be better for him cos he will play better in any club in the world, Α̲̅Ω̴̩̩̩̥d̶̲̥̅̊ can always compete with ANY midfielder in the world…he has always been ♍y̶̲̥̅̊ best..the only central midfielder that has a complete pass after Mata at chelsea..if he Ȋ̝̊̅§ allowed to play freely on the pitch…he would surpass most of our midfielders, people that crictisize him should G̶̲̥̅̊☺ back Α̲̅Ω̴̩̩̩̥d̶̲̥̅̊ watch Spain Nigeria at the just concluded CON cup, Α̲̅Ω̴̩̩̩̥d̶̲̥̅̊ wil be totaLly mad at Chelsea… I hope Nigeria will face top teams like England in the world cup Α̲̅Ω̴̩̩̩̥d̶̲̥̅̊ we shall see what he knows how to do best
Wow,cant beleave this so they are people that love my “senior”as much as i do.Fenk u all 2me,jom as surpass al the records of maka at chelsea and 2me he is the best holding midfielder of this era wheather he goes or he stays he will always be free 2play his patern what a great player he is.A wonderful player 4 big matches.To mention but few of mikel best moment.Mikel against man united f.A cup final,mikel vs bacelona both legs of d champ league,mikel vs bayern champ final,mikel agains spain confeds cup etc.This guy is a genius according 2 mr onigbide “the chairman”
I love mikel for his beautiful goal today
God bless u obi mikel, i love ur beautiful Goal and shut ur enemy mut
Dear mikel is my man i want him to still util he fill to go.
hi dDavid
Pls try to sell mikel my?
As for me MIkel is a good player. But he flopped at this world cup. He played below his expectation. I think Mikel need 2 work on himself so that i can be fit and name among Chelsea starting line-up or 2nd eleven players. MOU will not sell mikel. MOU like him bcos he played 2 his instructions. Although MOU want him to at list use his instinct or ability 2 turn games around wen need arises. I really want mikel to stay and fight vry hard 4 his position at chelsea. I belif he will make up for his flop at world cup. God bless u all