I very much agree with enigma about Mikel slowing down play and refusing to play the ball forward. I do not however agree with ramires lacking strength. I really don't like seeing Mikel on the field. He needs to go, he really doesn't suit our system.

i am not mikel's biggest fan and like others i have slagged him off but mikel has been an outstanding servant for the club end of. i have come to the conclusion that because he plays for our club with fantastic players means the majority of the time he will be compared with them. i have seen (like so many of his critics, me included) mikel being 'lethargic' , getting out jumped,  not committing (eg letting that **** nasri play) in the tackle etc etc! but can anyone honestly say that we or any other club has a perfect 11 or a squad?!! JM is a worldclass manager and he knows that the lad has his limitations better than anyone which is i believe why he uses mikel as and when he needs to! especially when there are injuries and suspensions! and TBH i would have the lad in front of anyone else ( i can't  believe i'm saying this!) if JM can't play his prefer 11 because the lad is like drogba who absolutely loves the club!

Forgot he was on the field for the majority of the game, can't really say much bad about him because he didn't make any glaring errors, but you have to wonder how City so easily passed around us for the entire 2nd half and compare it to our game 12 days ago where Luiz played in that position and we looked solid.

If we're serious about competing with City over the next 4-5 years, Mikel must be replaced by someone better.

If we're serious about competing with City over the next 4-5 years, Mikel must be replaced by someone better.

 

We are already competing with City and will be for more than 4-5 years.There best two central midfielders are Yaya Toure and Fernandinho one is 30 and the other is nearly 29.In the next 4-5 years they will have to replace those 2,good luck trying to replace Yaya.

Zeta's point holds true. Mikel wouldn't be even be on the bench for many of our competitors. 

Zeta's point holds true. Mikel wouldn't be even be on the bench for many of our competitors. 

 

Mikel is better than Javi Garcia,Jack Rodwell Tom Cleverley,Joe Allen.

Joe allen doesn't play where Mikel plays. Gerrard/Lucas currently play where Mikel would play and he wouldn't feature over any of them. 

 

Cleverley doesn't play there either. Man United not even our competitors anyways (for now at least) 

 

Garcia is pretty bad so he may make the bench but certainly wouldn't start. Not sure about Rodwell. I seem to remember some good performances against us by him. 

If we're serious about competing with City over the next 4-5 years, Mikel must be replaced by someone better.

we've replaced him with Nemanja Matic. a vast improvement. it's just that yesterday they both played, when ideally we would have ramires alongside matic, or next season possibly have MVG alongside him

If he is that bad, why has just about every single manager (bar AVB) had him in the team on a regular basis?

I'm convinced the managers of this club down the years (true football managers and not armchair experts like us on here) have known something about his game and how dear it is to Chelsea.

He would not be in the team if he was, as a lot of people say on this and many other forums, useless. He does what a good holding midfielder does...win the ball, pass it off and mark players. Do not say he doesn't mark...he does. Sometimes he's beaten but I think we can safely say that no footballer at Chelsea is without fault.

In closing and I will say this to the day I die, if Mikel had scored two or three (maybe even just the one) goals a season since he joined, I think a lot of people would be singing a different tune about him.

If he is that bad, why has just about every single manager (bar AVB) had him in the team on a regular basis?

I'm convinced the managers of this club down the years (true football managers and not armchair experts like us on here) have known something about his game and how dear it is to Chelsea.

He would not be in the team if he was, as a lot of people say on this and many other forums, useless. He does what a good holding midfielder does...win the ball, pass it off and mark players. Do not say he doesn't mark...he does. Sometimes he's beaten but I think we can safely say that no footballer at Chelsea is without fault.

In closing and I will say this to the day I die, if Mikel had scored two or three (maybe even just the one) goals a season since he joined, I think a lot of people would be singing a different tune about him.

 

Torres had more starts than Mikel in the last 2 years so i guess hes a good striker

Edited February 16, 201412 yr by Lane

If he is that bad, why has just about every single manager (bar AVB) had him in the team on a regular basis?

I'm convinced the managers of this club down the years (true football managers and not armchair experts like us on here) have known something about his game and how dear it is to Chelsea.

He would not be in the team if he was, as a lot of people say on this and many other forums, useless. He does what a good holding midfielder does...win the ball, pass it off and mark players. Do not say he doesn't mark...he does. Sometimes he's beaten but I think we can safely say that no footballer at Chelsea is without fault.

In closing and I will say this to the day I die, if Mikel had scored two or three (maybe even just the one) goals a season since he joined, I think a lot of people would be singing a different tune about him.

 

We don't need goals from him. We need him to help dictate our play. 

Torres had more starts than Mikel in the last 2 years so i guess hes a good striker

Remember, for a good part of those two years, Chelsea had no one else. Sturridge was injured and had fallen out of favour and then Ba came and they rotated. Mikel had players like Ramires, Lampard, Luiz and Romeu and over the seven years (which is what I was referring to), he has kept his place.

You can't really compare that, mate,

We don't need goals from him. We need him to help dictate our play.

Which he does...

I was only mentioning goals because I can pretty much guarantee that if he scored the odd goal every now and then (instead of twice every seven years), people would rate him differently.

Remember, for a good part of those two years, Chelsea had no one else. Sturridge was injured and had fallen out of favour and then Ba came and they rotated. Mikel had players like Ramires, Lampard, Luiz and Romeu and over the seven years (which is what I was referring to), he has kept his place.

You can't really compare that, mate,

 

It speaks volumes that you are considering a 20 yr old who has been mostly injured during his time with us, and a CB played out of position as Mikels competition for a place in the team

I would take Jack Rodwell over Mikel any day of the week, people forget he was actually playing very well at Everton before City bought him and never played him.

It speaks volumes that you are considering a 20 yr old who has been mostly injured during his time with us, and a CB played out of position as Mikels competition for a place in the team

Whether you like it or not, Romeu provided competition when he was fit. You can't chop and choose.

All I'll say is watch the Champions League Final and you'll see how dear he is to Chelsea. His game hasn't changed since then so there can be no "he's not as good now."

Edited February 16, 201412 yr by BellettiBullet

Whether you like it or not, Romeu provided competition when he was fit. You can't chop and choose.

All I'll say is watch the Champions League Final and you'll see how dear he is to Chelsea. His game hasn't changed since then so there can be no "he's not as good now."

 

How many games since that one game have we had to defend/play/park the bus like that?

 

Somewhere close to 0.

I would take Jack Rodwell over Mikel any day of the week, people forget he was actually playing very well at Everton before City bought him and never played him.

Can't play someone who's constantly injured.

moving forward id be happy to replace mikel with chalobah.

How many games since that one game have we had to defend/play/park the bus like that?

Somewhere close to 0.

Granted, we haven't had to play like that many times at all...but can you honestly say that Mikel is completely useless and doesn't offer us anything? Have managers like Mourinho, Hiddink, Ancelotti, RDM, Benítez and Mourinho again just simply 'got it wrong' by selecting him consistently in the team?

My point is that Mikel offers Chelsea more than we think. Managers know his gift because they're experts and we, as much as you might disagree, are not.

Edited February 16, 201412 yr by BellettiBullet

I'd move mikel on so we can stop beating this dead horse with the same arguments every other month.

Whether you like it or not, Romeu provided competition when he was fit.

 

thank you for proving my point

@Lane and Jonty - Anyway, lads. I don't mean to force my opinions onto you, that's just what I think. Cheers for the debate. It's early in the morning here in Oz and I'm off to bed.

If we're serious about competing with City over the next 4-5 years, Mikel must be replaced by someone better.

That depends. If Mikel is happy to be a back up in our squad to Matic I am perfectly happy with him staying here in that capacity. it will be very, very rare that we require 2 DM at the same time. 

 

 

moving forward id be happy to replace mikel with chalobah.

Could work, he could also be more of an option in place of Ramires. That is who he seems similar to most in our squad for me. 

 

Really if Mikel wants to be a starter then he needs to move on, Matic looks an upgrade for us but Mikel is not a bad back up to have. Ramires needs to step up if he is to take the place Frank is vacating. That is of course assuming we stick with this system. The person in that more forward of the 2 deeper midfielders role needs to offer good link up with the 4 in front of him and offer a decent goal threat, aka like Yaya Toure.

 

I am looking to MvG to see how he does in that area and have hopes for him.

 

In this system though we need a good attacking threat from all 3 attacking mids behind the striker, not just Hazard. Much as his work rate is good Willian must improve his end product and goal scoring, or compete with Ramires/MvG/Chalobah in the deeper midfield section. Oscar needs to get back to the consistency he had in the first half of the season. When given a chance we need to see threat and end product from Salah and Schurrle.

 

But back to Mikel. As a back up to Matic, happy enough for him to stay here. He does a decent but unspectacular job.