thegoodjoehunt: Mikel has always made defense splitting passes. Did you see the passes he was spraying against Derby?

There was a pass under Ancelotti Mikel gave Anelka. When Anelka scored, everyone left Anelka and went to Mikel to celebrate.

Mancini turned Yaya from a defensive midfielder/defender at Barca into one of the best mid fielders in the world. No Ione knew Yaya could do it. If it is passes, Mikel is amazing.

Chartey:
So how many assists has Mikel in his whole Chelsea career if he's been giving such passes according to you?



So according to your logic, shouldn't Mikel be one of the best DMs in the world today? Or are you saying it is impossible to excel in a defensive role?

I am even uncomfortable with this your comparison with Yaya comparison because Yaya played as both AM and DM at Monaco before going to Barca.

thegoodjoehunt: If Forlan is was converted to a defensive midfielder early in his career and never given a chance to play forward, he would never have been known as one of the best attacking players of a generation. Mikel has never, not even once been given a chance at Chelsea to play there because of the amount of attacking players that have been at Chelsea. Like Deco, Joe Cole, Ballack, Tiago, Lampard etc. Even now you have Oscar, Hazard, William, Mata, Van Ginkel, De Bruyne, Schurlle, Josh McEachran. On loan are Marin, Lucas Paizon, Oriol Romeu.

So Mikel hasn't even gotten the opportunity. Only Coach Keshi gave him the chance and he did well.

Chartey:
Well, Schweinsteiger was converted from a winger to a CM early in his career and he's one of the best midfielders in the world right now.
Many of those you mentioned are not even attacking midfielders in the strict sense and if Mikel can't grab an AM spot ahead of more than half of the ones present now, then he shouldn't even bother.

thegoodjoehunt: Why not point players who have been converted to defensive mid fielders that flourished. In that list I dropped, point out those who can't play the creative attack midfield position. I am waiting.

thegoodjoehunt: Mikel would have excelled as a CAM. Of he wouldn't have, how come he flourished and did well against the best midfield players in national team football(Spain)?

He did well at the Nations Cup also. He was never given the opportunity, so writing him off is wrong.

Many didn't know Yaya could do well as a player in an attacking role till Mancini tried it.

thegoodjoehunt: Mikel would have excelled as a CAM. Of he wouldn't have, how come he flourished and did well against the best midfield players in national team football(Spain)?

He did well at the Nations Cup also. He was never given the opportunity, so writing him off is wrong.

Many didn't know Yaya could do well as a player in an attacking role till Mancini tried it.

thegoodjoehunt: Mikel would have excelled as a CAM. Of he wouldn't have, how come he flourished and did well against the best midfield players in national team football(Spain)?

He did well at the Nations Cup also. He was never given the opportunity, so writing him off is wrong.

Many didn't know Yaya could do well as a player in an attacking role till Mancini tried it.

xtervaganza: Oga, let me correct you, Mikel can never flourish as an attacking midfielder, keshi never used him as an attacking mid but a central midfielder



Now let's discuss attacking mid fielders: football has evolved greatly from time past, most teams no longer play with 2 forwards now hence the attacking mid fielders now are technically a 2nd striker in most situation(like Oscar, mata). That position means you have to create and chip in goals yourself if the need arise, that's why u see ams now ending the season with 10/15goals these days.

Tell me how Mikel will come up with 10/15 goals a season?


2......Mikel is not a fantasista, he can't move with the ball like Zizou, mata, iniesta, Silva and other great 10s. Fantasistas are forward thinking players, while Mikel can hold the ball up very well and has a good close control hedoes nit possess the drive, pace and bite to last as an am.


3......when and where did Mikel boss the midfield against Spain? Are we talking about the same match our midfileders and defenders were made to look like schoolboys?

xtervaganza: Oga, let me correct you, Mikel can never flourish as an attacking midfielder, keshi never used him as an attacking mid but a central midfielder



Now let's discuss attacking mid fielders: football has evolved greatly from time past, most teams no longer play with 2 forwards now hence the attacking mid fielders now are technically a 2nd striker in most situation(like Oscar, mata). That position means you have to create and chip in goals yourself if the need arise, that's why u see ams now ending the season with 10/15goals these days.

Tell me how Mikel will come up with 10/15 goals a season?


2......Mikel is not a fantasista, he can't move with the ball like Zizou, mata, iniesta, Silva and other great 10s. Fantasistas are forward thinking players, while Mikel can hold the ball up very well and has a good close control hedoes nit possess the drive, pace and bite to last as an am.


3......when and where did Mikel boss the midfield against Spain? Are we talking about the same match our midfileders and defenders were made to look like schoolboys?

xtervaganza: Oga, let me correct you, Mikel can never flourish as an attacking midfielder, keshi never used him as an attacking mid but a central midfielder



Now let's discuss attacking mid fielders: football has evolved greatly from time past, most teams no longer play with 2 forwards now hence the attacking mid fielders now are technically a 2nd striker in most situation(like Oscar, mata). That position means you have to create and chip in goals yourself if the need arise, that's why u see ams now ending the season with 10/15goals these days.

Tell me how Mikel will come up with 10/15 goals a season?


2......Mikel is not a fantasista, he can't move with the ball like Zizou, mata, iniesta, Silva and other great 10s. Fantasistas are forward thinking players, while Mikel can hold the ball up very well and has a good close control hedoes nit possess the drive, pace and bite to last as an am.


3......when and where did Mikel boss the midfield against Spain? Are we talking about the same match our midfileders and defenders were made to look like schoolboys?

xtervaganza: Oga, let me correct you, Mikel can never flourish as an attacking midfielder, keshi never used him as an attacking mid but a central midfielder



Now let's discuss attacking mid fielders: football has evolved greatly from time past, most teams no longer play with 2 forwards now hence the attacking mid fielders now are technically a 2nd striker in most situation(like Oscar, mata). That position means you have to create and chip in goals yourself if the need arise, that's why u see ams now ending the season with 10/15goals these days.

Tell me how Mikel will come up with 10/15 goals a season?


2......Mikel is not a fantasista, he can't move with the ball like Zizou, mata, iniesta, Silva and other great 10s. Fantasistas are forward thinking players, while Mikel can hold the ball up very well and has a good close control hedoes nit possess the drive, pace and bite to last as an am.


3......when and where did Mikel boss the midfield against Spain? Are we talking about the same match our midfileders and defenders were made to look like schoolboys?

ferderick: U're d best... NL has been infested with MEDIOCRE analysts.

xtervaganza: listen, my point about Mikel not scoring wasn't to demean him. Mikel is a good player but its idiotic for anybody to suggest he would flourish as an attacking midfielder, he would have failed miserably as an AM.


and let's not compare Makelele to Mikel, during Makelele's time, he was peerless, no defensive midfielder ever came close to him so much the post ion was named after him. Have u ever come across the term “Makelele role in football?



Makelele was the best DM of his time so him not scoring was never a problem. Is Mikel the best DM of his own era?

thegoodjoehunt: [b]So Lampard, Gerard, Scott Parker, Barkley(Everton) can move the ball like Zidane and Silva. Hilarious.

Please when we talk of playing the creative attack midfield role, Mikel made a better performance at the U20 in 2005 than Messi, Silva, Fabregas because of his brilliant ball retention skills and mind blowing decision making and thrilling killer passes.

Mikel still possess that gift. As for the Spanish match, even Chelsea forums had their fans wpndering if the Mikel that played against Spain was the same one who played for them.

I watch a video of a London based Chelsea fan say that the Mikel that played for Spain was actually the opposite of the player who plays for Chelsea.


This line is from a vanguard journalist:
At the FIFA Confederations Cup where coach Stephen Keshi allowed Mikel greater freedom to roam, we saw the Nigerian score a terrific goal while teaching the Spanish world class midfielders a few new tricks to savour.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/01/sportsguard-mikel-obi-africas-best-2013/

I think he watched a different match from you.[/b]

niyitogun:

makelele was one of the best, do not forget Patrick Viera too, so it's highly debatable. Never stck out your neck when analyzing football.

thegoodjoehunt: If Forlan is was converted to a defensive midfielder early in his career and never given a chance to play forward, he would never have been known as one of the best attacking players of a generation. Mikel has never, not even once been given a chance at Chelsea to play there because of the amount of attacking players that have been at Chelsea. Like Deco, Joe Cole, Ballack, Tiago, Lampard, Raul Meireiles etc. Even now you have Oscar, Hazard, Willian, Mata, Van Ginkel, De Bruyne, Schurlle, Josh McEachran. On loan are Marin, Lucas Paizon, Oriol Romeu.

So Mikel hasn't even gotten the opportunity. Only Coach Keshi gave him the chance and he did well.

baby-boy:



Do you know about an East German player called Matthais Sammer?

Who was a Striker, then winger, then midfielder, then Sweeper then he won the Ballon D'or!

Mikel might play the number 10 role for Nigeria, but for Chelsea he is too slow and doesnt think fast enough, for Nigeria or international the pace of the game is slow almost at walking pace

baby-boy:



Do you know about an East German player called Matthais Sammer?

Who was a Striker, then winger, then midfielder, then Sweeper then he won the Ballon D'or!

Mikel might play the number 10 role for Nigeria, but for Chelsea he is too slow and doesnt think fast enough, for Nigeria or international the pace of the game is slow almost at walking pace

thegoodjoehunt: First of all, I know Mattias Sammer but I really didn't have time to watch him play.

I only watched him play the Champions league finals against Juve. He sits on the technical seat with Guardiola at Bayern and he was the brain behind the revival of Dortmund.

To answer your question, Matthias Summer never won the Ballon D'or as a defensive midfielder or defender. He won it as a creative attacking midfielder. When he was playing as a defender, he was respected because he had made his name playing as a creative midfielder.

Mikel's case is different. After excelling as a creative midfielder, he was never, I repeat never given the chance to replicate what he did.

If that happened to Sammer, he would never had been seen as great as the likes of Rui Costa and Figo

xtervaganza: have you lost your marbles? I hate you this guy you argue facts too much!



Mattias Sammer won European footballer of the year(ball on d'or) in 1996 because Germany won euros 96 and Summer played as a sweeper just shut up forever. Are you mad? How's a sweeper anywhere near attacking midfield? Nonsense !

xtervaganza: have you lost your marbles? I hate you this guy you argue facts too much!



Mattias Sammer won European footballer of the year(ball on d'or) in 1996 because Germany won euros 96 and Summer played as a sweeper just shut up forever. Are you mad? How's a sweeper anywhere near attacking midfield? Nonsense !

thegoodjoehunt: [b]Some sweepers move forward and distribute the ball up-field, while others intercept passes and get the ball off the opposition without needing to hurl themselves into tackles. In modern football, its usage has been fairly restricted, with few clubs in the biggest leagues using the position.
______________________________________________

Beckenbauer is a perfect example of this other style, a player at ease with the ball at his feet and capable of marauding forward from the back. This ‘attacking’ libero could be a deadly weapon if a team had a player capable of its demands. A knowledge of the game was key, the player had to know when to move forward and when to hang back. With the opposition not anticipating a defender arriving in their half, the libero would find himself unmarked, as confusion reigned amongst the ranks of the opposition defence. A defender striding forward to carry the ball out of defence allowed a quicker transition into attack.

______________________________________________________

It seems Sammer's role was not restricted and he had the liberty to express himself. I think that was why he was a stand out player as a Sweeper.

As it is said, the sweeper role is dead. So it is hard to pin point why Sammer excelled so much. I never had time to watch or follow Sammer.

I believe Mikel's role at Chelsea has been too restricted that is why he hasn't flourished. If given the Liberty to express himself, I believe he can bring back the glories that brought him much praises.[/b]

thegoodjoehunt: First of all, I know Mattias Sammer but I really didn't have time to watch him play.

I only watched him play the Champions league finals against Juve. He sits on the technical seat with Guardiola at Bayern and he was the brain behind the revival of Dortmund.

To answer your question, Matthias Summer never won the Ballon D'or as a defensive midfielder or defender. He won it as a creative attacking midfielder. When he was playing as a defender, he was respected because he had made his name playing as a creative midfielder.

Mikel's case is different. After excelling as a creative midfielder, he was never, I repeat never given the chance to replicate what he did.

If that happened to Sammer, he would never had been seen as great as the likes of Rui Costa and Figo

xtervaganza: for your life's sake I hope you don't argue with someone that has a beer bottle on his hands


Just shut up and stop disgracing yourself here.


Summer did not move up the pitch in the champions league final cos he was a sweeper(get that into your thick skull)


Do u even know where sweeper's play? He has a defensive line in front of him you twerp! It was Paul Lambert(Aston villa's manager) that was marauding in that match. Will you shut up now?

thegoodjoehunt: Please read again, I said I have never watched him play. Only the finals of the Champions League they beat Juve. That was actually the first Champions league finals I watched. I didn't even watch it live, it was a replay.
Please, I only started following Sammer after he became coach of Dortmund.

omar22:


WHAT!!!!!!!!!


He played either as a holding player or Sweeper when Germany played 3 at the back at Euro 96! Not only he won the golden ball also won the European Player of the year as a Anchor player or Sweeper.. Andres Muller, Scholl and Hesller were Germany's Attacking player

thegoodjoehunt: As I said before I made that mistake, I didn't follow up Sammer. What part of that is difficult to understand. I started watching regular live games in 1998. I didn't even watch Atlanta '96 triumph over Brazil.

I later read on Summer and noticed he played a sweeper role.

I watched the Euro '96 match of Germany vs England, I think it ended in penalties. Too young to understand tactics. I think Hesller was the one pronounced as (Hasler) that came in as a sub.


I was trying to point that is difficult to flourish playing a restricted defensive role. Sammer from the articles I read wasn't restricted. That was why he was able to put in such performances to be stand out in a tourney.

Mikel has had a restricted role at Chelsea, that is why his talent hasn't flourished as it supposed to be.

omar22:

If you feel that Mikel has a restricted in that role, does the same restriction applies to Ramires, Essien, Ballack, Belletti...... All am saying is that with his ability to hold the ball he should be controlling the game from that position. Scolari moved Edmilson from Midfield to sweeper just to start the attack from deep at the 2002 WC.