Ake and Nathaniel Chalobah should be in our team this season!!

Time to move on, Mikel!!

Hale Chelsea!!

cheleku: Football has since changed...the ultra defensive midfield role is dying a natural death. Unfortunately, Mikel is yet to realise this. Modern defensive midfielders like Busquet, Yaya, Javi Martinez, Alonso, Carrick are more dynamic, faster and can make fairly accurate foward passes. Same cannot be said of Mikel. The question is if Mikel can modernize his play, and the answer to that question is yes. When he dones the Nigerian jersey, the lad is something else. He makes more foward runs and passes and even dribbles more, yet retaining his defensive ability. He clearly lacks this attacking part when he plays for Chelsea. I think at Chelsea, he plays with aprehension. He is always trying to avoid making mistakes, which inadevertently dulls his game.

Mikel is playing to the instruction of the manager. I read one article where Mikel said during the time of Mourinho, he always told him not to attempt any long pass that is job is to get the ball from the defender and pass it to lampard. As you stated in your post that whenever Mikel is playing for Nigeria he express himself and drive forward, that is because the manager allows him to drive forward.

Afam4eva:
Not that i like Arsenal or any team in England but Arsenal despite not winning trophies is a business team and have made a lot of money from selling their players. Chelsea on the other hand are useless in every ramification.

ohh really,i thought a football club was meant to win trophies.arsenal board is raking in millions while not winning any trophy.when they scrap the 4th position qualifying for champs league,arsenals avenue of making money will dry up
simple

As far as I am concerned, Mikel is dull and useless as a football player.maybe he should try some other field. I know somebody will tell me he is making his money and that I am hating. I do not hate mikel obi and I know he is making millions but I'm just saying it as it is.

Ikenna94: @shymexx shut up, without people like ortega in midfield do tink maradona's goals and runs would ve counted? Besides mikel is beta dan makalele

ortega n maradona played 2geda? Nawao

black_beau: As far as I am concerned, Mikel is dull and useless as a football player.maybe he should try some other field. I know somebody will tell me he is making his money and that I am hating. I do not hate mikel obi and I know he is making millions but I'm just saying it as it is.

Nah, he's got good sense of positional play as a DM.

kokosheen:

Suffering is relative. I'll prefer to suffer like chelsea and win the most coveted football trophy - the ECL, while i wouldn't wish my frenemy to suffer like arsenal!!!

Must everything be compared to arsenal? wise up bro. we have 20 clubs in EPL so why the arsenal MADNESS?
Am not an arsenal fan buh I hate the way pple compare EVERYTHING with ARSENAL. Ki lo de? #TEAM KANO PILLARS#

Gwekzy: ortega n maradona played 2geda? Nawao

Anything is possible on NL.

Afam4eva:
Not that i like Arsenal or any team in England but Arsenal despite not winning trophies is a business team and have made a lot of money from selling their players. Chelsea on the other hand are useless in every ramification.

Beeni. Afam.

My only problem with this survey or whatever is the way you said Mikel single handedly shut barcelonas midfield. Oga please tell the truth and shame the devil. He played well but Ramires and co played better. And I bliv in that second leg, the most passes made by a Chelsea player was 17 and it was by mereiles second was cech. you gave so much praise to mikel you forgot the heroics of ashley cole, ramires mereiles, ivanovic. so how did chelsea shut the midfield. Chelsea parked the bus and just soaked the pressure. There was no man marking because Chelsea didn't want to commit too many players to one person and lose focus of the other threats. And Please chelsea didn't push anybody up any field. The match I watched chelsea sat deep in front of the 18yard box (this is evident in the goal Torres scored when he ran solo and unmarked).

PS: before you start to enter me I am a Chelsea fan Abeg. Not a hater of Chelsea I am only being unbiased.

vislabraye: Talking about Makelele's role in Chelsea: the reason RM's president said so about him was due to racial difference. RM is a racist club. Ask yourself, how many black players have played in RM so far.
1st it was Seerdorf. Seerdorf was on fire in RM, but he was relegated to the background. Next is Samuel Eto who wasn't given enough play time becaused of the Spanish players. And the last was Makelele. Its a trend.

Mikel has not played the best of football in Chelsea. I believe he could have been far better than where he is.

Off the top of my head I can name 10 black players who have played for madrid.

Seedorf, Christian Karembeu, Mamadou Diarra, Lassana Diarra, Geremi Njitap, Samuel Etoo Fils, Claude makelele, Michael Essien, Marcelo, Emmanuel Adebayor, Pepe

I think its high time for mikel to leave chelsea to try somewhere else cos he has almost won everything with chelsea.,..

is it maradona the dope I know who are you talking of another maradona need be stripped. off those honour he doesn't worth any of it if u ask me.

I don't know what Mikel has done wrong or why some people have refused to see any good in what he has done. Take it or leave it, Mikel has won all there is to be won in England. This guy Mikel has made record that cannot be equalled by 3 Van Parsies, he made more than Fabrigas, Song, infact all the players in Arsenal today. There are only few players that have achieved more than him in England today so why d beef? Even if he should retire today, he has made his mark that WILL never be equalled by several players till Jesus will come. Mikel, ride on joor.

dayokanu:

Off the top of my head I can name 10 black players who have played for madrid.

Seedorf, Christian Karembeu, Mamadou Diarra, Lassana Diarra, Geremi Njitap, Samuel Etoo Fils, Claude makelele, Michael Essien, Marcelo, Emmanuel Adebayor, Pepe

now compare that number to the number of white players that have played for real. also how many of those black players were appreciated?

black_beau: As far as I am concerned, Mikel is dull and useless as a football player.maybe he should try some other field. I know somebody will tell me he is making his money and that I am hating. I do not hate mikel obi and I know he is making millions but I'm just saying it as it is.

plz sharrap and stop talking about stuff you have zero knowledge about.

I really pray Mikel moves to another club so he can shine... now i understand why a player like Jay Jay playd so many years at mediocre bolton...sometimes its better to be a big fish in a little pond. i also think that english football myt not be the best for mikel in an attacking sense cuz he is very deliberate on the ball whereas the english league attacking play is very fast paced... maybe playing as an attackin mf is not ryt for him but id love to see him in a cm role like xavi which is kinda what he plays for naija

Kgdavid:

now compare that number to the number of white players that have played for real. also how many of those black players were appreciated?

Are you serious? Is Real madrid not in a white country? How many blacks are native to Spain sef?

Mention any club in Europe where you can compare their number of black players to white players

You too compare the number of Black players who have played for Enyimba with white and tell me if Enyimba is a racist club

Kgdavid: I really pray Mikel moves to another club so he can shine... now i understand why a player like Jay Jay playd so many years at mediocre bolton...sometimes its better to be a big fish in a little pond

Its simply because Jayjay wasnt good enough to play at top clubs.

Was Drogba not celebrated at Chelsea or is Mikel blacker than Drogba?

Etoo is celebrated everywhere, Its only poor players who complain about such

Weah won WPOTY, Ballon D Or as a black African

Whether will like it or not,Mikel will remain one of the best to come out of Africa.This is a guy that force Makalele to retire and sent Essien on loan.A player that survived in the midst of Ballack,Deco,Joe Cole,Lampard,Makalele and Essien.Please can Song survive these players?give mikel to barca,he will survive where players like Yaya fail and Song is a bench warmer.Mikel remain only nigeria player that has been so consistent for past 7yrs with a top club like chelsea. Even Kanu and Okocha did not achieve this,so what are we talking about.Mikel and Makalele comparism,i dont have much to say because Mikel bench Makalele in his latter year at chelsea and force Essien to the bench during champion league final.

You can be a defensive midfielder and still assist or score goals, for heaven's sake. Mikel should take a look at Alonso, Vidal, Gundogan, Martinez, Khedira e.t.c Football has evolved past the Makelele role.

shymexx:

*face-palm*

When did Ortega start playing football and when did Maradona retire?

You sir, should never be allowed to post on a football thread again!

I no fit laugh...Knowledge can easily be enhanced by interest and not by age or study...IKenna take note

For all those who think Mikel is not a world class player/midfielder, please watch the video in the link below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M17SGuhMglc

I disagree with the OP's opinion on Mikel

While he brings physicality to the table, he is often found wanting in the Tackle and his positioning is often suspect.

That's partially why Luiz/Ramires/Lampard were preferred to him for that DM spot last season and Romeu the season before...(Lampard was purely attacking from deep though)

I would personally compare Mikel to Pirlo if anything....His vision and range means that he can dictate the tempo from a deep and sometimes advanced position(Like we see with the Super Eagles),but he isnt defensively sound enough to be in the 'Makelele' role

coogar:

fortunately, he does.....he's the most positionally-disciplined player in chelsea. he doesn't score because he rarely leaves his position to shield his centre-halves. nigerians say all he does is sideways/backward passing but that's his primary role: to keep possession. as a manager, i will rather have a backward pass than a forward pass that is intercepted!



mikel does better than that - if he's an englishman, he would be hyped to the high heavens. he is criminally underrated by premier league fans but he does what makelele did back in the days. break the attack, play a short pass and keep the possession within his teammates.


makelele never attempted a pass more than 10 yards, he never dribbled past anyone. he scored a total of 2 goals in 5 seasons for chelsea and he's a legend. how is makelele different from mikel? you gotta admit the way we watch football or analyse players have changed. mikel is a very good player but trust the british media to heap criticism on him whenever chelsea lose a game....it's easier to find a scapegoat in mikel than their golden boy, frank lampard!!!

Thub up 4 u broh,many Nigerians are like the british media,they hate him 4 his suces,many wil compare him wit Yaya,but they are wrong bcus Yaya has never single handedly played that role ever in City,he is been joined by Barry and now Garcia, and b4 pple wil compare him wit Song, the team style of play should be examined,in Barca and Arsenal every body is an attacker Which is not like that in Chelsea,Bousequet and Alonso also have some one they combined with,when u combine Mikel with either Ramires or Lamps u wil see the two of them leaving their role,that's where Mikel's team glory is better noticed to the duo of Lamps and Ramires personal record.I wil like u all to cast ur mind back to Chelsea Vs Barca game,why was Ramires not used in his role? He wil never be used,bcus Ramires wil always attack and leave the back 4 exposed to undue danger.Mikel should be praised especially by Nigerians.

coogar:

fortunately, he does.....he's the most positionally-disciplined player in chelsea. he doesn't score because he rarely leaves his position to shield his centre-halves. nigerians say all he does is sideways/backward passing but that's his primary role: to keep possession. as a manager, i will rather have a backward pass than a forward pass that is intercepted!



mikel does better than that - if he's an englishman, he would be hyped to the high heavens. he is criminally underrated by premier league fans but he does what makelele did back in the days. break the attack, play a short pass and keep the possession within his teammates.


makelele never attempted a pass more than 10 yards, he never dribbled past anyone. he scored a total of 2 goals in 5 seasons for chelsea and he's a legend. how is makelele different from mikel? you gotta admit the way we watch football or analyse players have changed. mikel is a very good player but trust the british media to heap criticism on him whenever chelsea lose a game....it's easier to find a scapegoat in mikel than their golden boy, frank lampard!!!

Thub up 4 u broh,many Nigerians are like the british media,they hate him 4 his suces,many wil compare him wit Yaya,but they are wrong bcus Yaya has never single handedly played that role ever in City,he is been joined by Barry and now Garcia, and b4 pple wil compare him wit Song, the team style of play should be examined,in Barca and Arsenal every body is an attacker Which is not like that in Chelsea,Bousequet and Alonso also have some one they combined with,when u combine Mikel with either Ramires or Lamps u wil see the two of them leaving their role,that's where Mikel's team glory is better noticed to the duo of Lamps and Ramires personal record.I wil like u all to cast ur mind back to Chelsea Vs Barca game,why was Ramires not used in his role? He wil never be used,bcus Ramires wil always attack and leave the back 4 exposed to undue danger.Mikel should be praised especially by Nigerians.

Mikel is an average player and football has evolved passed the level of having a specialist dm in the mould of Makalele.

Oh and its blasphemy to put Mikel and Makalele in the same sentence.

[Mikel needs great improvements on his attackin role

cheleku: Football has since changed...the ultra defensive midfield role is dying a natural death. Unfortunately, Mikel is yet to realise this. Modern defensive midfielders like Busquet, Yaya, Javi Martinez, Alonso, Carrick are more dynamic, faster and can make fairly accurate foward passes. Same cannot be said of Mikel. The question is if Mikel can modernize his play, and the answer to that question is yes. When he dones the Nigerian jersey, the lad is something else. He makes more foward runs and passes and even dribbles more, yet retaining his defensive ability. He clearly lacks this attacking part when he plays for Chelsea. I think at Chelsea, he plays with aprehension. He is always trying to avoid making mistakes, which inadevertently dulls his game.

what are u saying? Mikel plays no 4 position for chelsea,but plays no 10 for eagles.mikel would have been a beta replacement for scholes in man.u,but morinho deceived him wit money.am not a man u fan(FCB 4 life),but i know dat sir alex would hav made mikel a beta player.imagine playing for a club for up to 8years,yet u still play as though u are afraid.na swear? See small oscar de ginger 4 chelsea pass mikel.abeg,leave chelsea.

justsayemma: To me he is just over celebrated,because sentiment has blinded us in dis country.a player that came 2nd after Messi in 2005,now its impossible 2 compare them,he was in a top flight club b4 Yaya,Tiote,n Song,now can we compare them? Whch club has bid 4 him after Chelsea made d mistake? Even Babayaro,Olofijana n co,scored, won matches,n man of matches for their clubs,has Mikel ever don dat? I think his peak was 2005.I knw som certain people from a certain part of Nigeria will attack me,m ready wit facts.

yeah bro,and tribalism will soon turn u to a blind man.is like some mods open different handles just to cause arguement on a particular topic.why tryin 2 bring up tribal war here?

justsayemma: To me he is just over celebrated,because sentiment has blinded us in dis country.a player that came 2nd after Messi in 2005,now its impossible 2 compare them,he was in a top flight club b4 Yaya,Tiote,n Song,now can we compare them? Whch club has bid 4 him after Chelsea made d mistake? Even Babayaro,Olofijana n co,scored, won matches,n man of matches for their clubs,has Mikel ever don dat? I think his peak was 2005.I knw som certain people from a certain part of Nigeria will attack me,m ready wit facts.

yeah bro,and tribalism will soon turn u to a blind man.is like some mods open different handles just to cause arguement on a particular topic.why tryin 2 bring up tribal war here?;

Err...Before I leave the thread, I need to ask Gawd to forgive me for once saying Mikel Obi would grow up to become Juan Riquelme in Chelsea's colours. Shyte, imma tweet the pope now and do that.

I know my nyggahs: Osa, Zen, Ade, Jermaine, Iyke and Yinka are somewhere laughing at me now, saying: "I told you, Mikel would always be a bum in Chelsea's colours."

Blasphemy is a sin punishable by a hot slap - Mikel should never be in the same sentence as Claude Makelele. Y'all need to tweet the pope and ask for forgiveness.

I'm out, yo!