₦airaland Forum

I believe Pirlo will cause more harm,he's got. a superb ability to hold possession of the ball,I hope our midfield is up to the task.Ethiopia is the main threat here,not Italy.

justhelp: if you have memory and your brain is functioning you ought to know that fashola did not start it

He's got 1mb,lol.

Na wa oooooo

omar22: Mourinho benched Mata because he feels Oscar offers more energy and work rate, Luiz is just a loose cannon who blows hot and cold.

Under Benithez Oscar is more likely to be benched for Moses because Moses is direct and powerful

I will pick mata over oscar anyday anytime.There are some games energy wouldn't save you but brilliant magician like mata.

omar22: Na common if you say Michael Carrick is squad player for manchester united you will loose credibility on NL

Alex ferguson manages his players differently to other managers, Lampard played 160 PL games in a row without any break, suspension or rest, Fergie will not all that to happen, Fergie knows when to rest his players! Uptill 2009-10 Manchester United had Carrick, Giggs, Scholes, Anderson, Oshea and Fletcher and managed all of them and kept them fresh.

I think his right about the coach Philosophy stuff,that's why players like Mata and David Luiz are bench warmers

naija noni: Micheal Carrick vs Mikel
Comparison of no. Of games STARTED in d PL per-season for Man-U and chelsea respectively 4rm 2007:-
2007/2008:-
Mikel=22 starts/Carrick=23 starts
2008/2009 :-
Mikel=33 starts/Carrick=24 starts
2009/2010 :-
Mikel=21 starts/Carrick=21 starts
2010/2011:-
Mikel=28 starts/Carrick=23 starts
2011/2012:-
Mikel=15 starts/Carrick=26 starts
2012/2013:-
Mikel=20 starts/Carrick=34 starts.

Looking very well at these anybody that says Mikel HAS ALWAYS BEEN a squad player all through his chelsea career should also agree the same for carrick.
Man-U is a big club.
Chelsea is also a big club.
Man-U players suffer 4rm injury.
Chelsea players suffer 4rm injury.

GBAM!GBAM!!GBAM!!!

elektra80: Real players take risks to show the manager and fans what they can do. David Luis has forced people to realize his attacking talents. Yes Mourinho is benching him now, maybe he doesn't play to instruction right now but there are top clubs out there that are waiting to pounce on him. He forrced his way into taking free kicks which yielded reward. Drogba also forced himself to taking free kicks even when Lampard was on the field and we all know what happened. Yaya Toure was not the first choice free kick taker at Man City, but he forced himself into taking free kicks and now he is their first choice free kick taker.

What is my point here, top players take risks to show what they can do, while squad players just play to instruction, like 'I will do whatever the coach asks me to do'. Mikel had lots of attacking potentials before he joined chelsea, he was second to Messi in the Youth championship. Maybe he got scared of playing at the biggest stage, or he was scared of taking risks, he ended up being a squad player. I believe he has lots of potential in him, what I'm not so sure of is if he still have them after being in this position for so many years.

You are on point,that's why I blame Mou,Mikel was young and was ready to play as instructed.He couldn't have dashed forward with the like of Lampard,Joe cole,Essien etc in the team,I guess he's got his own share of blame as well.Look at Alex Song,he hardly dash forward for barca compared to the beast I knew then in Arsenal.

omar22: Look am a Chelsea and I do defend Mikel as much as I could, even at work or when I get the chance to watch the game live when fans grumble about Mikel slowing the tempo down, but I could remember when they brought in the Spanish kid Romeu in 2011 or tried young Josh, but Mikel still held his position, but my Argument here is that Mikel since 2006 should have grown or developed into a super star thats what makes me angry, I could remember when we had Babayaro, chelsea brought in so many LB but Babayaro still kept his spot until old age and injury caught up with him Babayaro stepped up his game.

This was the same with King Kanu who was happy to sit on the bench and collect money, compared to Jay Jay who put Bolton on the map.

As much as I like the guy he is not better than Yaya Toure in any form, Yes Mikel might have a better tournament than Yaya but over the whole of 2013 my honest opinion Yaya is head and shoulders better than any African player in the world

Everyone admits Yaya is better,Nigeria beating Ivory coast and later winning the trophy was an huge blow to Yaya,considering the fact that Mikel did well in the tourney,and also won a trophy with chelsea can't be overlooked by Yaya's brilliant performance for club side.

elektra80: Yes I agree Mikel has been a better player for country than Yaya. Same way Diego Forlan has been a better player for country than Messi. Same way Ozil is a better player for country than Frank Ribery.

That's my point!

omar22: Am not judging a player by his mistakes, judging by his injury record... La Liga is not as intense and the Premier League and Essien went to Madrid as a cover for Xabi and the German midfielder when Diarra was sold. Even Jose didnt trust him even to play in the midfield he had to play him wide.

I meant Mikel,you have never said anything positive about him,you kept talking about the Juve match,how he deleted his twitter account etc.This is not the only thread you will say such about him,you have always down talked him anywhere is name is being mentioned on nairaland.Not cool bro.

omar22: Common if you know anything about football injuries, you will know that if you have ruptured your anterior cruciate ligament in the knee (TWICE) your career is almost over!

Ask Michael Owen or Owen Hargreaves

I didn't know his career was almost over when he was playing for madrid.And if you know anything about football,you will know that a player can NEVER be judged by his past mistakes and shortcomings,but also by the great games he played and his contributions.

elektra80: A squad player doesn't necessary mean u have less appearances. Check john O'Shea's appearances for man utd. He played an average of 60% matches from 2002-2011, but he was a squad player. To me a squad player is one who plays strictly to instruction. That is what mikel is at Chelsea and such players never become world class. Same thing with Ji Sung Park at manchester united. Park was a vital player but never a world class, he had lots of caps for Manchester united playing to Ferguson's instructions. He and oshea were one of Ferguson's lap dogs. A world class player should have a mind of his own, take risks and do the impossible to favor his team. Yaya toure is, mikel is not. For Nigeria mikel has a mind of his own but for Chelsea he is a squad player.

Your last point is the reason I said Mikel has been a better player for national team than Yaya.

naija noni: Yeah becos Essien was the only midfielder chelsea had.And essien was injured throughout d 7 years of mikel's stay at chelsea.
Injuries happen to all teams.
Wether d whole chelsea team was injured or not,
The fact is dat Mikel STARTED above 50 % of chelsea's 38 PL games in every season aside 4rm 2010/2011 season.
Not a definition of a "squad player" to me.

Is Essien still injured?NO,was he injured when he had to go on loan?NO.Essien has got speed,short accuracy,kindly ask them why his still on the bench.

write2obi: Am a United Fan, and I've never for one day Wished we had Mikel in place of Carrick.

And yes we had the last laugh, Carrick came in and won us UCL and EPL double, while Mikel went to chelsea and started collecting red card after red card
I adore and cheer for Mikel when he plays for the Eagles simply becos he is the best we've got " a one eyed man is a king in the land of the blind".

He started collecting red card,when was the last time he got one?

omar22: Bravo!!! You couldnt put it any better!!!

People who say Jose tried to convert Mikel into a defensive midfielder are wrong, Jose tried to convert Mikel into a deep lying play-maker just like what Milan did to Pirlo or Xabi Alonso, Jose wanted Mikel to start the attack from deep thats why they moved Mikel from an attacking player to a deep lying player!



Do you know that Chelsea paid United £12m compensation for loosing out on Mikel, thats when they bought Michael Carrick, United fans always say that was one of the best business deal they have ever made by making an £8m profit on a player that didnt wear a shirt for United. Do you think Manchester United regret missing out on Mikel and buying Michael Carrick?

I don't care if they made £50m,if everyone judges a player by his mistake just like you have always been against mikel,he won't even make the bench.

Op,I hope you have already started taking some steps.

That's great,already rubbing shoulders with the world best,great way to start a career if you ask me.

naija noni: Then if everybody thinks like u and agrees to your opinion:-
mikel wouldnt still be in a big club like chelsea till now.
Since mikel moved to chelsea in 2006,A lot of midfielders have been bought and off-loaded,but mikel still remains.
He wouldnt have been handed a new 5yr contract last year.If d club hasnt been satisfied with him,mikel would have been off-loaded long ago like others.
A stern coach like mourinho would have purchased d modern defensive midfielder u're talkin bout who can score and all,and mikel would have been d 1st to be off-loaded by jose,either on-loan or on sale.
Mikel wouldnt be playing important games for chelsea at all,just like essien.
I Know mourinho VERY WELL,if he is not satisfied with u and u're not playing d way he wants,u wouldnt even be playing AT ALL.Just like de bruyne and Essien at the moment.

You dont know football better than all d chelsea coaches that have rated mikel highly and have been an important part of their plans all through these years.
Thats why i said its ur opinion.
Doesnt mean ur opinion is RIGHT,neither does it mean ur opinion is WRONG.
Many would agree with u.
Many would also disagree.

That's why Di Matteo hailed him as Chelsea's unsung hero.He used him in all his matches and he was impressed,especially against bayern at Champions league final.

Op,10/10.

naija noni: From what im seeing,If mikel eventually wins it,there is gonna be a lot of "transformer huggings" in nigeria.
Dem fit even fall sick.Haha.Lol.
Some nigerians fit even do fasting and prayers for mikel not 2 win it.
Na so e worse reach.SMH.

A friend of mine who happens to be a Man U fan, confessed to the fact that he beefs Mikel because he plays for Chelsea,but he adores him anytime is playing for Nigeria.

naija noni: Lol did they say VOTE FOR WHO IS BETTER ??.
If votes are open to every body to vote for the Ballon 'door nominees.I can bet that 70 % of chelsea fans would vote for Eden hazard no matter how undeserving he is to win it.Why ?
Becos hazard is their own.
Messi and d likes deserve to win it,but they are not theirs.
Many chelsea fans would rather vote for a chelsea academy player than to vote for yaya toure
Why ?.Becos yaya toure is not theirs.Wether he wins it or not wouldnt affect chelsea.But if their player wins,it would have a positive effect on their player(confidence and all) which is a good thing for d team in general.
You can click dat link and view d comments.http://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com /2013/11/12/5095072/vote-mikel-for-bbc- african-player-of-the-year
Majority of the fans say they've voted for mikel,some say they've voted multiple times.Same case in other chelsea fan-blogs.
Only 1 person says he'll vote 4 yaya.
And i am a member of dat site.Only about 2 or 3 out of those comments are 4rm nigerians.
I'll post links later of d "Vote for Mikel" on other chelsea blogs for u to read d comments.
Same on twitter,foreing fans are voting for mikel.
Not everybody is like u you know.
Not all chelsea fans are like u(thats if u really are a chelsea fan).
And not everybody is a mikel-hater like u.
Read other posts on that particular site and read the comments 4rm chelsea fans worldwide.
There are many foreing fans who really love mikel.

Exactly my point,not everyone will judge a player from a negative view,all he talks about is downfall of Mikel,he never for once mentioned the part where Mikel did well.I fear Nigerians ooooooo,we are our number 1 enemy I swear,hatred can blind people from speaking FACT.

Oh boi!

omar22: Chelsea fans are loyal to their players but they are not stupid...

Its like asking Chelsea fans to vote who is better between Torres and Messi!

Only a few Chelsea fans will vote Mikel over Toure anywhere in the world apart from Nigeria. It will be a landslide result

How are you so sure only few chelsea fans will vote Mikel over Yaya,its not everyone that will judge a player from his shortcomings.

The man go dey curse VP every morning.

You the boss,what about exclusion of Haruna despite being in form so far this season.

RedBenson: 'Helding'? I don die! O boy, where did u get such word from?

lmao,

Good for the lad

I hope NFF will stick to the plan,this type of development requires huge funding and monitoring of the players.Grass root football has been the solution to successful development of football giant nations,I honestly hope naija will emulate this move,then we can find ourselves competing with european football giants.

Arsenal has started again ooooooooo,monitoring a player till another club snatch am.

elektra80: Ok bro, I support Mikel really and he has improved his game especially when playing for the national team. Now he plays with all his heart, things he didn't do in the past. I respect him for that. But if I'm a manager of a team and I have to choose one between Mikel and Yaya, I will choose Yaya without blinking.

I understand and respect your opinion.

Baba agba!

naija noni: Lol.
Mikel performed far better dan Yaya in d national team side.Not talking 'bout afcon alone.I'm talking 'bout All the national team mathces played dis year.
Yaya performed far better than Mikel on club level.
They never said d award is judged based on club performance,neither did dey say d award is judged based on national team performance.
So "Who deserves d award" is arguable.
If u think it should be on who performed best at club level,First of all go and complain to BBC about d past awards before u preach about "if yaya was a nigerian" or "How will u feel":-

2012:-Who was d most outstanding player at club level??.Yaya toure.
But who won it ??.Katongo
2011:-Who was d most outstanding player at club level??.Yaya toure
Who won it ??.Andre Ayew.
2010:-Who was the most outstanding player at club level??.Samuel etoo
Who won it ??.Asamoah Gyan.
You should 1st of all go and complain 2 BBC that these players didnt deserve to win it.

So on point bro!