John Mikel Obi Is Far Overrated!

When Mikel came into limelight in 2005, I was one of the people that thought, a new Zidane had come, that at last, Nigeria has produced a player that will soon be in contention for World player of the year. The world became Mikel's oyster. He became the beautiful bride wanting to be courted by every big Club. But the hype was not out of place, given Mikel's performance in WYC 2005. At home here in Naija, there was a fierce debate on who was better between JJ and Mikel. Many people sid a new JJ had arrived. Segun Odegbami wrote he was more like Oliseh than JJ. Some people contended he JJ,Oliseh and kanu rolled into one.

In international media and online forums, the name Mikel continued to recur, for enviable reason. You feel proud being a Nigerian in those foreign forums. In a discussion thread in an American forum, Bigsoccer, in 2005, many posters listed Mikel in their list of TOP 5 PLAYERS IN THE WORLD IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS. He was highly rated the world over. Some compared him with Zidane. Some said he played like Riquelme at his peak in Villareal and Argentine national team. BBC sports analysts reported a new Superstar from Africa had arrived to succeed Eto'o, Essien and Drogba.
I had not discovered NL then, so Bigsoccer was my favourite online forum. In that American forum, the very few people that cautioned the Mikel trumpeters that 'Let's wait and see what this boy will play first before all these accolades' were regarded as haters and pessimists.

But when Mikel was not able to replicate his Holland performance in his first season in Chelsea, I was still one of those that had confidence in mikel's ability. We all poured blame on Mourinho for converting him to a DM.

Now, I have come to believe that Mikel is overrated. I'm not saying that he's not good, but far less than what people say of him. I don't think he can replicate that WYC performance again.

What surprises me most is that this guy still gets good rating the world over. Or am I watching a different Mikel? Imagine goal.com listing him among africa's Top 10 in 2008, leaving out a better performers like Yaya Toure, Seidu Keita etc.

Trust the ever jealous Ghanaweb forumers. One of out every 5 threads in that forum is on Mikel. Nobody even cares here.

Its not like he is overrated. I feel he is playing out of position. They guy is not a DM. He should be a playmaker that he was at holland 2005.

For all the love and respect I have for JM, that is the only one thing (converting Mikel into a Holding midfielder) he did that I cannot just understand. Why did he do that?

Many may not agree but Scolari should see better and promote the guy forward or at least give him a free role. 

I think the reason is that he thinks more defensively now. The guy should wake up and play like the Mikel of 2005. Has he a manager/agent at all? that can speak sense into him? The earlier the better.

The guy I would like to see develop is Ibrahim (This guy from the U-17). Looks and play like our great JJ.

Mikel and Essien are 2 different players entirely. Essien is a power house and he has some ferocious long range shots. I'm sure you can remember that superb goal against arsenal?  He likes to bust forward and once he starts, there is no stopping him.

Mikel on the other hand, since taking up a DM role, once he gets past the half way line, he starts thinking of whom to pass the ball to. Sometimes he gets it right and sometimes he results to a sidepass or backpass.

He is been talked about after his heroic display at the Youth Tournament in 2005. Was it by mistake he got the second best player and he if you will ask me, I will say he was number 1, the best player in Holland 2005. Messi was a cheat (Maybe he is still, who cares anyway).

Mikel needs to step up his game. There should be no question of him been overrated. Kinda too early for that.

yuo only repeated what I said that he needs to step up his game. abi be ko?

good for you and has their career ended? NO.  If Mikel improves, no one will say he is been overrated, isn't it?

I agree that it will be bad for both club and country if he continues like this.
My question is why is Scolari insisting on securing his signature for a longer term and even increasing his wages. The guy must really have some talents. Dont you think so?

Na that one dey vex me pass.

Letting Obi go at £12m profit was the best things that have
happened to United

Every nation gloats (as you put it) about its achievements and they will continue to do so. Even in a million years to come. The manner and the way our boyz performed in Atlanta was/is someone to remember for life.

R'Dinho and JJ, them be the same age? Everybody cannot be a star, not all players can be named world best footballers, but that is not to say that they have performed less.

Mikel is not overrated. He just needs to improve his game simple.

Wrong club is telling on mikel. . .lust for money caused him i geuz  + wrong agent.

at such young age,he needed to be playing well,with great team mates and unity under a great manager like feggie,but he chose Chelsea instead who as at then don't play pretty football,come to think of it,they have Lampard(English),Ballack,Joe cole,essien,makalele amongst other who had seen it all and can't be benched then. . . we wasted his golden chance to improve after the 2005 exploration in Holland.

MANU would have changed and improved him!!! . .  he wasn't overrated. . afterall,Messi was better in the Youth game then at Holland and was rated over Mikel then and He(Messi) is playing the best football right now!!

you will be suprised they are still gloating about it or are you a citizen of any of these countries you mentioned? That was one of the peak moments in our international football history, how can you forget that?

I don't agree totally with this.
I think it is these players that let their success get into their heads and start to misbehave after getting to Europe and making name. Most of those under-age tournaments we excelled in were prosecuted by boys hungry for success, most of which are either still in domestic league or somewhere in Belgium,Norway,Egypt(less-fancied leagues) but once they shine in those youth tournaments and get clubs in England,France,spain etc, they begin to select matches to play for the country, feeling bigger than the coach, when they graduate to the National team.

Jarus,
you spoke my mind,and Mikel is a victim of this success getting into one's head of a thing.
Apparently he is in Chelsea,content to be earning whatever wages he is being paid at Chelsea.
When I will be impressed is when he leaves the comfort zone of Chelsea tostep out to become the lynchpin of another club,just like Messi is to Barca.Then we'll know he has arrived.But for now,he remains content with lying under the radar.And he remains largely rubbish in that role.

very funny, is Chelsea not a BIG club? What if he excels there? Why must he leave chelsea? some people sef.

FBS,
You know very well that Mikel cannot become a great player at Chelsea so let's not flog the issue.
Should Lampard's career come to a sudden halt,for example,nobody is going to campaign for Mikel to take over that role.
Chelsea will go and buy another player in Lamps' mould.