Happy to be a squad player without really pushing himself to try to achieve the next level.

But I'd make the point that we need reliable sqaud players to come in and do a job, which is what he's done this season, given the poor form of Matic.

So you rekon we create a new thread titled "How sh*t have Chelsea been to keep mikel all this time".

How many trophies have we won since Mikel joined us? What is Chalobah doing now? Sitting on a bench in Italy, Baker is sat on a bench in Holland, other youth midfielders amounted to nothing, not defending our youth policy, but at least with Mikel managers knew they could rely on his experience and to put in solid performances. Bored of sticking up for him after ten years, you'd think he'd have just a little respect from some people, but he'll always have his fans and his critics, we'll have to agree to disagree.

But I'd make the point that we need reliable sqaud players to come in and do a job, which is what he's done this season, given the poor form of Matic.

 

Do you want 'reliable' players who come in and do an average job most of the time, or do you want hungry, young players biting at the heels of the players on the pitch waiting for their chance to take that person's shirt?

 

I think the latter is the type of competition you want. What happened with Matic is a weird one. Maybe it was complacency that saw him let his form dip but Mikel didn't become a realistic alternative until Guus came in and looked to settle things.

 

I think that's what Mikel is - the unambitious choice - and that's what fans will never like. You always want to see your team looking to improve, looking to take forward steps and Mikel is the opposite of that. At least that's my opinion. 

 

How many trophies have we won since Mikel joined us? What is Chalobah doing now? Sitting on a bench in Italy, Baker is sat on a bench in Holland, other youth midfielders amounted to nothing, not defending our youth policy, but at least with Mikel managers knew they could rely on his experience and to put in solid performances. Bored of sticking up for him after ten years, you'd think he'd have just a little respect from some people, but he'll always have his fans and his critics, we'll have to agree to disagree.

 

How many trophies have we won since Cech left? It's an equally fallacious point isn't it? Teams win trophies not players and Mikel has always been surrounded by excellent players, and up to this year excellent leaders.

 

Does that mean that Mikel is an excellent player or leader?

 

Chalobah was developing perfectly up until summer 2013 when we f**ked up by loaning him to a Billy Davies managed Forest team. The unfortunate truth is that one bad six month loan can ruin a player's career because it stops any momentum they have dead in it's tracks.

 

By the way there's one young player who featured in the youth team and went through the loan system but didn't get a chance here. He was let go and instead we stuck with Mikel. His name was Nemanja Matic.

 

 

There is absolutely no logical reason for people to dislike Mikel on grounds that aren't football-related.

 

EDIT

 

Lewis Baker has played about 1900 league minutes for Vitesse this year.

 

That's more league minutes than Mikel played last season.

 

And the season before that (697 when we won the league which is about 7 and a half full matches).

 

And the season before that (he played quite a bit, then we signed Matic and he didn't).

 

And the season before that....And the season before that. In fact you have to go back to the 2010-11 to reach a season when Mikel played more than 2,000 minutes. That season (when Ancelotti is sacked) he started 7 more games than the season before when we won the league. 

Edited April 26, 201610 yr by ShedEnder91

Disagree again, I don't think he makes our team weaker, now Matic made our team weaker when he played this season, Mikel was an improvement on Matic, obviously I'm not saying he was the best option.

I was presuming the whole period he has been at the club. There's a reason he has not been a first team starter and that's because his not good enough. Problem is Matic has been so bad this year anyone would of been an improvement.

Kennedy has been an improvement on Hazard. RLC over Oscar, Iva has been that bad I reckon Kane would of played better, least he would of tried.

It's like saying how many trophies did P Neville win at Utd, or John O'Shea, average players surrounded by top class players. P Neville use to only bring his boots out of retirement to man mark Zola.

How many trophies have we won since Mikel joined us? What is Chalobah doing now? Sitting on a bench in Italy, Baker is sat on a bench in Holland, other youth midfielders amounted to nothing, not defending our youth policy, but at least with Mikel managers knew they could rely on his experience and to put in solid performances. Bored of sticking up for him after ten years, you'd think he'd have just a little respect from some people, but he'll always have his fans and his critics, we'll have to agree to disagree.

 

Gees... do I need to hold out the sarcasm sign for you.    

Do you want 'reliable' players who come in and do an average job most of the time, or do you want hungry, young players biting at the heels of the players on the pitch waiting for their chance to take that person's shirt?

I want hungry, young players, but we have had Mikel for ten years, I'm not going to defend our youth policy or even suggest that Mikel is the best option as a back up defensive midfielder, it's not the point I'm trying to make at all. I'm simply saying he has been reliable and in my opinion deserves less stick and more respect, avarage player in people's eyes or not.

How many trophies have we won since Cech left? It's an equally fallacious point isn't it? Teams win trophies not players and Mikel has always been surrounded by excellent players, and up to this year excellent leaders.

Fair point, I was just stating that Mikel has played his part in trophy winning sides, particularly in the champions league final, like the man or not.

Chalobah was developing perfectly up until summer 2013 when we f**ked up by loaning him to a Billy Davies managed Forest team. The unfortunate truth is that one bad six month loan can ruin a player's career because it stops any momentum they have dead in it's tracks.

Feel sorry for Chalobah, I rated him highly myself, but I think his chance has gone.

By the way there's one young player who featured in the youth team and went through the loan system but didn't get a chance here. He was let go and instead we stuck with Mikel. His name was Nemanja Matic.

Yep, I know and he seemed like a perfect replacement for Mikel and was even getting compared to Maka last season, but he's been one of the worst players in the league this season, that's why we should be grateful we have the experience of Mikel to fall back on, in my opinion.

Lewis Baker has played about 1900 league minutes for Vitesse this year.

That's more league minutes than Mikel played last season.

And the season before that (697 when we won the league which is about 7 and a half full matches).

And the season before that (he played quite a bit, then we signed Matic and he didn't).

And the season before that....And the season before that. In fact you have to go back to the 2010-11 to reach a season when Mikel played more than 2,000 minutes. That season (when Ancelotti is sacked) he started 7 more games than the season before when we won the league.

Yep, he's a squad player, we don't expect him start week in week out, I don't get that point, Baker isn't starting games now is he? I watched him come on against PSV for the last 5 minutes and he offered more than the other midfielders in that short space of time, but he isn't judged as a natural starter anymore in a poor Vitesse team.

I was presuming the whole period he has been at the club. There's a reason he has not been a first team starter and that's because his not good enough. Problem is Matic has been so bad this year anyone would of been an improvement.

Kennedy has been an improvement on Hazard. RLC over Oscar, Iva has been that bad I reckon Kane would of played better, least he would of tried.

I agree with you, he hasn't been at the right level to start many games, he has been behind Maka and Essien in the pecking order before and then Matic and now he's taken his place back due to Matic being woeful, but how has he made the team weaker exactly? Quick background check will suggest that we've won our fair share of games when he's been playing. Still, don't understand why him being average means let's treat the man as the main scapegoat every time we concede and give him dogs abuse, we didn't give Frank Sinclair dogs abuse and he was fairly average too, again a squad player but one people respected because he was one of our own.

Gees... do I need to hold out the sarcasm sign for you.

Probably, obviously I'm becoming more like Sheldon Cooper.

But I'd make the point that we need reliable sqaud players to come in and do a job, which is what he's done this season, given the poor form of Matic.

I agree with that sentiment and Mikel has filled that role.John O'Shea and Phil Neville are good examples of players in similar roles at ManU,SAF though knew when to let go. We as a club are now entering another new period in our existance and there comes a time to let go. Personally I feel that the time has now arrived. If we are happy to standstill or go backwards keep him but if our ambitions are to challenge again we have to let go for the good of both club and player.

You guys will not stop and bring things up over and over again. Saying "do you want really an reliable player or young hungry..." Blabla. You know i was happy when Mikel was here during Matic's public meltdown. If you think RLC would handled the pressure better while being 16th on the table, then okay. A player like Mikel still getting so much stick while Ivanovic which was maybe world class two or there years ago now doesn't know how to pass or positioning him well enough. Its whats now counts not 5years ago perfomance wise.

I don't care if Mikel is just average for some of you but at least did not let us down like many others players this year. Pffff sick of debatting with people on his birthday if he is a "crap" person.

Pffff sick of debatting with people on his birthday if he is a "crap" person.

Yea, that's just embarrassing to be honest, I don't think he's put much of a foot wrong off of the pitch for his entire career and I'd like to see those trying to bash him as a person play for this club just hours after hearing that their father had been kidnapped, but why not forget that happened.

Now you've put me in a bad mood. 

 

Chalobah was ready in 2013 and we f**ked him. Loved watching that kid play at Watford and we went with Mikel over him - only for us to realise we had to replace Mikel with Matic in January.

 

Just to return the favour - Mikel will be our longest-serving player if JT leaves. Think about that for a second.

 

WE???? 

 

You mean Jose, it was Jose who had no desire to give the kid a chance. 

WE???? 

 

You mean Jose, it was Jose who had no desire to give the kid a chance. 

 

Yes, we the club. This notion that we have only struggled to promote young players since Jose arrived his fallacious. Fact is last season Jose gave more minutes than any other coach to a player from our youth team (not named John Terry).

 

Not everything wrong with this club is solely down to Jose unfortunately.

WE???? 

 

You mean Jose, it was Jose who had no desire to give the kid a chance. 

i don't remember the multitude of kids that were played under Grant, Scolari, Carlo, AVB, RDM, Fat Rafa...   

The odd game here and there, sure. But nothing of real note. You're right that Jose didn't use the kids much, but nor has anyone else. Zouma is probably the youngest player to have got regular minutes in the last 10 years or so, and who brought him in and played him? Jose.

I'm sure there are a couple of other examples, but it's certainly not like our Youth Players were being integrated rapidly until BAM... Jose came and stopped it all. It's a club issue, not one manager's issue

I think he will stay with Conte in charge, he is more than a decent squad player. 

I think he will stay with Conte in charge, he is more than a decent squad player. 

 

What position does he play under Conte though?

What position does he play under Conte though?

 

I doubt Conte will change the current 4-2-3-1, it will take too much time for the players to adapt to a new system. We all know Roman wants the results as soon as possible, so i think he would play the defensive midfield position as he usually does.

I doubt Conte will change the current 4-2-3-1, it will take too much time for the players to adapt to a new system. We all know Roman wants the results as soon as possible, so i think he would play the defensive midfield position as he usually does.

 

But we're spending close to £30 million on a midfielder who plays in a midfield three so where does Nainggolan fit in that system?

 

Conte has always used a high energy, dynamic midfield and we've signed a high energy, dynamic midfielder. I think the signs are that we'll be playing a midfield full of dynamism and energy, two words that have never been used to describe Mikel.

Edited April 28, 201610 yr by ShedEnder91

But we're spending close to £30 million on a midfield who plays in a midfield three so where does Nainggolan fit in that system?

 

Think Radja can play in almost every position in the midfield, he would probably start in the back two in the midfield but would work as a box to box midfielder. Just a wild guess mate no clue what Conte is planning to do.

I hope we do change the formation and although a Mikel fan, would not be opposed to see him leave, but let him leave with dignity and praise is all I hope, for a long time servant. It is time for rejuvenation and I am sick and tired of this 4-2-3-1 formation that we are seemingly stuck in, a return to 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 sounds good to me, our last successful strike partnership dates back to Jimmy/Eidur.

Wrong thread but Id love to see him try 4-2-4

quality assist for the borini goal, only like the 50th time he's done that

I had loads to do in the garden today but my son had a stream up and I kept coming back in to check the game and I swear every time I came in I saw Mikel give the ball away. I stand by saying he is a handy squad player but we are Chelsea FFS and surely we shouldn't be starting this guy every game? Hopefully with the end of Hiddink we will see and end to that.

 

quality assist for the borini goal, only like the 50th time he's done that

 

 

Yeah Mikel definitely has a record of giving the ball away