The Community Plate - How did Obi Play?

[bonecrusher]

one thing for sure is that Obi made a great mistake by going to chelsea. he is no play maker like kaka and ronaldinho but i can compare him slightly to seedorf or scholes composed on the ball gives simple passes but when that run is made or opening comes around he would not let anyone down.

These are players whose performance is based on the performance and or mobility of their players.

If Obi had gone to Manu, Arsanal , or a Barca type team i could bet we would see less square passes from the kid and more creativity.

IMO he would never get better than what he is now so long as JM is his boss

Woulda, coulda!
He chose Chelsea. Let's respect his choice.

Look i dont care what team he chooses all am saying is he chose chelsea hence his current form.

[green4life]

You people are taking style to avoid a simple question. Is Mikel Obi a scoring threat or is he not?

My observation is that the only Nigerian midfielders who score are Oruma, Kalu Uche, Olofinjana and Kanu (if you call him a midfielder). Mikel Obi, and many others seem to hold, pass and link up ... some called this play the modern game ... Truth be told Mikel Obi is a Carlos Valderama clone. His passes are almost as good as Valderama and his work rate is higher.

How many chances does one get to score when they operate deep in the midfield? If he's close to the box and open, he'll take his shot but given that he plays deep in midfield he does not get enough scoring opportunities for one to ascertain whether he is a threat or not. But his range & accuracy from outside the box is geting better.

[bonecrusher]

Obi played well. Don't believe the haters! I don't really care for his attitude but the guy has undoubted skill. IMHO, he was the best Chelsea midfielder yesterday. Essien had a sub-par game and Lampard just dey run around like headless chicken.

I wish Lampard would go to Barca and Deco the other way. Bout time.

Seems like he is past his prime. He has had poor games in the past but even his set pieces were $@#%. He is still a useful player but should never be an automatic choice and no way should he receive the amount of money he is holding out for.

As for Young Lioness; Mikel is better than Geremi, Makoun and Mbami together....go dust!

Naija ppl and their muf muf.

Geremi moved to Castle a downgrade some would say but is doing big things for them already and has captained 2 games already as a new comer that shows how much they rate him

Makoun is obiviously the grand in his team and the future only looks brighter for him, even Mbami woke up from his slumber and is moving in the right direction

I wouldnt get into an arguement with u but all these players are moving foward but guess what Obi has reached the pick of his game he is done like it or not after chelsea he would only go down he lost his chance to learn how to be an impact player by not going to a team that would teach him those traits but chose chelsea a team that only makes u better physically

where would he go/do when JM leaves cos only useless JM has use for such a player neither a DM nor AM, cant play wings he cant defend nor pose any sizable offensive threat what exactly is his role? He chose to play JM type football which other coaches a not attracted to so my advise to him is to follow JM where ever he goes or else he may end up in Enugu Rangers even there i dont think he would command a starting spot

[green4life]

Obi played well. Don't believe the haters! I don't really care for his attitude but the guy has undoubted skill. IMHO, he was the best Chelsea midfielder yesterday. Essien had a sub-par game and Lampard just dey run around like headless chicken.

I wish Lampard would go to Barca and Deco the other way. Bout time.

Seems like he is past his prime. He has had poor games in the past but even his set pieces were $@#%. He is still a useful player but should never be an automatic choice and no way should he receive the amount of money he is holding out for.

As for Young Lioness; Mikel is better than Geremi, Makoun and Mbami together....go dust!

Naija ppl and their muf muf.

Geremi moved to Castle a downgrade some would say but is doing big things for them already and has captained 2 games already as a new comer that shows how much they rate him

Makoun is obiviously the grand in his team and the future only looks brighter for him, even Mbami woke up from his slumber and is moving in the right direction

I wouldnt get into an arguement with u but all these players are moving foward but guess what Obi has reached the pick of his game he is done like it or not after chelsea he would only go down he lost his chance to learn how to be an impact player by not going to a team that would teach him those traits but chose chelsea a team that only makes u better physically

where would he go/do when JM leaves cos only useless JM has use for such a player neither a DM nor AM, cant play wings he cant defend nor pose any sizable offensive threat what exactly is his role? He chose to play JM type football which other coaches a not attracted to so my advise to him is to follow JM where ever he goes or else he may end up in Enugu Rangers even there i dont think he would command a starting spot

Thanks for the info. Meanwhile, continue to suffer and smile. The fact that Geremi, who could barely get off the bench due to not being up to Chelsea standards, is now a big boy at Newcastle should tell you that he has found his level. khaki & leather may look alike but are never the same. He could not see 1 second of action as a midfielder last season in spite of Essien playing defense due to injuries to JT & Ricky. Then to add insult to injury, he failed to hold down a spot at his right back position. The guy was below average: any chelsea fan will tell you. At Newcastle, he will be fine because expectation is low. If they don't win anything, no one will fire Big Sam. Their only expectation is to stay up (not be relegated). At that level, you can get away with inconsistent performances. At the top level, you'll be lucky to even sit on the bench. Patience no dey. Kapish?

[airwolex]

I wouldnt get into an arguement with u but all these players are moving foward but guess what Obi has reached the pick of his game he is done like it or not after chelsea he would only go down he lost his chance to learn how to be an impact player by not going to a team that would teach him those traits but chose chelsea a team that only makes u better physically

I really don't think you know what you are on about.

Apart from the fact that they are all older than Obi there is no way you can say their careers are moving forward.

Geremi has taken a step back to Newcastle, Mbami is a sub for Marsielles and Makoun is a local champion in Lille.

[maceo4]

I wouldnt get into an arguement with u but all these players are moving foward but guess what Obi has reached the pick of his game he is done like it or not after chelsea he would only go down he lost his chance to learn how to be an impact player by not going to a team that would teach him those traits but chose chelsea a team that only makes u better physically

I really don't think you know what you are on about.

Apart from the fact that they are all older than Obi there is no way you can say their careers are moving forward.

Geremi has taken a step back to Newcastle, Mbami is a sub for Marsielles and Makoun is a local champion in Lille.

At 20 Obi has "pick"ed according to this angel*, but the other players that are mid 20's and more are still getting better and moving forward? Kaiii see boiled plantain induced logic.

[YoungLion]

As for Young Lioness; Mikel is better than Geremi, Makoun and Mbami together....go dust!

The only thing Mikel has these players do not have is youth; and wasted youth at that. He's not exactly known for defending, nor his set pieces prowess like Geremi, can't hold down a midfield, or distribute long range like Makoun, and certainly doesn't have the work rate or creativity of Mbami...so how's Mikel better than these players? I've observed Mikel in many games and I really don't see anything special in him. He lacks initiative, barely goes after the ball, doesn't chase it when losing it, seldom makes use of his size, has no concept of off the ball movement or positioning. The kid lacks cojones, and quite frankly is rubbish...should JM leave as bonecrusher said, you can bet Mikel's warming the bench. If being able to string a handful of passes makes one Nigeria's potential football messiah, then Naija is in trouble. The kid quite frankly sucks.

[maceo4]

As for Young Lioness; Mikel is better than Geremi, Makoun and Mbami together....go dust!

The only thing Mikel has these players do not have is youth; and wasted youth at that. He's not exactly known for defending, nor his set pieces prowess like Geremi, can't hold down a midfield, or distribute long range like Makoun, and certainly doesn't have the work rate or creativity of Mbami...so how's Mikel better than these players? I've observed Mikel in many games and I really don't see anything special in him. He lacks initiative, barely goes after the ball, doesn't chase it when losing it, seldom makes use of his size, has no concept of off the ball movement or positioning. The kid lacks cojones, and quite frankly is rubbish...should JM leave as bonecrusher said, you can bet Mikel's warming the bench. If being able to string a handful of passes makes one Nigeria's potential football messiah, then Naija is in trouble. The kid quite frankly sucks.

Yea if JM leaves....Im sure Sir Alex will pick up where he left off in bringing Obi to Manure, but I guess when he leaves also then Obi will be in trouble again right? At Obi's age he is playing at a bigger club than Mbami will ever play at, he's playing at a bigger club than Makoun is currently playing at, don't even mention Geremi as they were in the same team and Geremi couldn't even get one second all season in midfield while Obi was being used in Champions League Semi Finals and other important matches.

[bonecrusher]

I wouldnt get into an arguement with u but all these players are moving foward but guess what Obi has reached the pick of his game he is done like it or not after chelsea he would only go down he lost his chance to learn how to be an impact player by not going to a team that would teach him those traits but chose chelsea a team that only makes u better physically

I really don't think you know what you are on about.

Apart from the fact that they are all older than Obi there is no way you can say their careers are moving forward.

Geremi has taken a step back to Newcastle, Mbami is a sub for Marsielles and Makoun is a local champion in Lille.

True Geremi has taken a step backward. But never did we glorify him like u guys do to Mikel. Mbami has always been critised by most Cameroonians for his laxed way of playing and we never claimed he would be the next best thing out of Africa

On the other hand where ever u go John Mikel Obi is the talk of the day. its a whole year and some now but ppl keep saying he would get better the person he was runners up to in the famous WYC is almost a finished product but u guys are here saying he needs more time

See the difference is we give our players the required shrining nothing is blown out of proportion and i would say it again Mikel would not get any better than what he is he would never live up to the hype around his name, and he would only go down from now on that is the truth wait till everyone is fit and see the amt of playing time he would get

Talking about local heroes name one naija man who can claim of being a local hero? and dont bring any politics here no naija man can boast doing there same at his club

So if u want to consider him a local hero suit urself cos i would say its being the best no matter where u find urself(ligue2, midtable team, top team) which is some thing ur players know nothing about

[bonecrusher]

As for Young Lioness; Mikel is better than Geremi, Makoun and Mbami together....go dust!

The only thing Mikel has these players do not have is youth; and wasted youth at that. He's not exactly known for defending, nor his set pieces prowess like Geremi, can't hold down a midfield, or distribute long range like Makoun, and certainly doesn't have the work rate or creativity of Mbami...so how's Mikel better than these players? I've observed Mikel in many games and I really don't see anything special in him. He lacks initiative, barely goes after the ball, doesn't chase it when losing it, seldom makes use of his size, has no concept of off the ball movement or positioning. The kid lacks cojones, and quite frankly is rubbish...should JM leave as bonecrusher said, you can bet Mikel's warming the bench. If being able to string a handful of passes makes one Nigeria's potential football messiah, then Naija is in trouble. The kid quite frankly sucks.

Yea if JM leaves....Im sure Sir Alex will pick up where he left off in bringing Obi to Manure, but I guess when he leaves also then Obi will be in trouble again right? At Obi's age he is playing at a bigger club than Mbami will ever play at, he's playing at a bigger club than Makoun is currently playing at, don't even mention Geremi as they were in the same team and Geremi couldn't even get one second all season in midfield while Obi was being used in Champions League Semi Finals and other important matches.

True but that doesnt make him better than them so based on ur fickle logic i guess mascheroni is worst than every player in West Ham and Mikel is better than JJ cos he never played for a top level team as Mikel? what load of crap

Mikel had the potential to become the next best thing the physique, height, strength, composure on the ball. but he blew it by going to chelsea.

[maceo4]

See the difference is we give our players the required shrining nothing is blown out of proportion and i would say it again Mikel would not get any better than what he is he would never live up to the hype around his name, and he would only go down from now on that is the truth wait till everyone is fit and see the amt of playing time he would get

1) Who are those that are unhealthy that Mikel is playing in place of?
2) Last year Makelele and the rest were 100% healthy yet JM chose to play Mikel in the Semi Finals of the CL and in the Finals of the FA Cup.
3) How can you say he will only go down from now, is this your prayer for JMO or are you sitting firmly with crystal ball in hand?
4) Don't play this holier than though crap, you Cameroonians have overhyped your own players as well. I forget the name of that your DM from the last WC, you guys hyped him to high heavens yet since then he's continued playing in some obscure league with little to no recognition, but according to you guys he's better than all our midfielders etc etc.
5) If there was any hype it wasn't just by Nigerians a lot of hype was generated by his tug-o-war transfer in which two top managers of no. 1 and 2 EPL teams respectively were chasing this boy.
6) If you saw him in the ANC you would have seen the potential there just like everyone else. And I believe he won MoM in 1 or 2 of the games he played all this at the age of 18. By 19 he was starting important EPL and CL games. I mean even the great Eto'o was axed by Real at that age and sent to a lower team to improve and look at what he's turned out to be. If you were judging him then you would prolly call him a failure for not making it at Madrid. But na you know sef.

[bonecrusher]

and thats exactly my point like i have said Obi had all the potentials but made wrong choices and u guys didnt help by shrining him week in and out. and if he doesnt make a major change ASAP he would be doomed

I am not praying for him to be a flop but tell me what does the future hold for this kid

When players like CR first came into the lime light they were raw but with time u saw him change for the better crossing the balls more and not dribbling each time he got a sniff of the ball
now can u say same for Mikel

His best performances go back to the WYC hasnt had 1 game since then that he could boast of a stellar performance shouldnt that ring a bell but u guys would be quick to compare him with our players

my friend a Naija team with Mikel would take a brentford type massacre from any Cameroon team

Face it Mikel has made a couple of bad choices and would live to face the consequences unless he finds an immediate solution and the only one that comes to my mind is "leave chelsea" but then again who am i to make such decisions

[green4life]

and thats exactly my point like i have said Obi had all the potentials but made wrong choices and u guys didnt help by shrining him week in and out. and if he doesnt make a major change ASAP he would be doomed

I am not praying for him to be a flop but tell me what does the future hold for this kid

When players like CR first came into the lime light they were raw but with time u saw him change for the better crossing the balls more and not dribbling each time he got a sniff of the ball
now can u say same for Mikel

His best performances go back to the WYC hasnt had 1 game since then that he could boast of a stellar performance shouldnt that ring a bell but u guys would be quick to compare him with our players

my friend a Naija team with Mikel would take a brentford type massacre from any Cameroon team

Face it Mikel has made a couple of bad choices and would live to face the consequences unless he finds an immediate solution and the only one that comes to my mind is "leave chelsea" but then again who am i to make such decisions

You're really taking out of your asss right now. You ought to worry less about the brentford massacare and more about how Cameroon will survive another ANC QF elimination.

[maceo4]

and thats exactly my point like i have said Obi had all the potentials but made wrong choices and u guys didnt help by shrining him week in and out. and if he doesnt make a major change ASAP he would be doomed

I am not praying for him to be a flop but tell me what does the future hold for this kid

When players like CR first came into the lime light they were raw but with time u saw him change for the better crossing the balls more and not dribbling each time he got a sniff of the ball
now can u say same for Mikel

His best performances go back to the WYC hasnt had 1 game since then that he could boast of a stellar performance shouldnt that ring a bell but u guys would be quick to compare him with our players

my friend a Naija team with Mikel would take a brentford type massacre from any Cameroon team

Face it Mikel has made a couple of bad choices and would live to face the consequences unless he finds an immediate solution and the only one that comes to my mind is "leave chelsea" but then again who am i to make such decisions

What do you mean he has no performances he can boast of? If you haven't watched him since WYC then say so and stop spewing nonsense. In fact last season he was voted MoM in a handful of games. In Chelsea's CL games such as the two legs against Valencia he was a monster in the middle of the park outplaying and outwitting his more experienced counterparts in the Valencia team. He was a standout in the FA Cup final as well. He was voted highly by most chelsea fans on CFCNet (the chelsea forum) all through the second half of last season. I watched fan zone last night showing the Chelsea Manure Community Shield game on FSC and the chelsea fan was saying how much Mikel was a monster the second half of the season last year. So in summation, WTF are you talking about sir? Are you expecting Messi like performances from a player being played as CM/DM? I don't understand this comparison with Messi to even begin with as if they play the same position. Mikel has been more than holding his own in his position and keeping out much more experience players out of the Chelsea line-up. So if that is a failure to you, then may Obi continue failing

[YoungLion]

Anyone who feels Mikel Obi's EPL material, let alone better than Makoun, Geremi and Mbami combined needs his head checked. The fact Mikel's playing in a better club than Makoun doesn't necessarily mean he's a better player. It's appauling to see how blind a few nigerians can be about this kid...how can you compare Mikel Obi to a Geremi, Mbami or Makoun? are you serious? just cuz he plays on what you PERCEIVE to be a better club than Makoun doesn't make him the better player. On that note, I'll finish my Mikel argument as I always do:
Denial is a b*tch...the kid sucks!!!:lol:

[Killa Adjei]

Anyone who feels Mikel Obi's EPL material, let alone better than Makoun, Geremi and Mbami combined needs his head checked. The fact Mikel's playing in a better club than Makoun doesn't necessarily mean he's a better player. It's appauling to see how blind a few nigerians can be about this kid...how can you compare Mikel Obi to a Geremi, Mbami or Makoun? are you serious? just cuz he plays on what you PERCEIVE to be a better club than Makoun doesn't make him the better player. On that note, I'll finish my Mikel argument as I always do:
Denial is a b*tch...the kid sucks!!!:lol:

Chei....

[maceo4]

Anyone who feels Mikel Obi's EPL material, let alone better than Makoun, Geremi and Mbami combined needs his head checked. The fact Mikel's playing in a better club than Makoun doesn't necessarily mean he's a better player. It's appauling to see how blind a few nigerians can be about this kid...how can you compare Mikel Obi to a Geremi, Mbami or Makoun? are you serious? just cuz he plays on what you PERCEIVE to be a better club than Makoun doesn't make him the better player. On that note, I'll finish my Mikel argument as I always do:
Denial is a b*tch...the kid sucks!!!:lol:

Your argument would make some sense if it wasn't a FACT that Obi and Geremi WERE ON THE SAME TEAM LAST SEASON. Geremi could not get one single minute in midfield all season while Obi was a fixture in the second half of the season. Go figure....I guess you are right, Geremi is better than Mikel But lets not allow a little thing like facts to put san san in your jollification.

[YoungLion]

Your argument would make some sense if it wasn't a FACT that Obi and Geremi WERE ON THE SAME TEAM LAST SEASON. Geremi could not get one single minute in midfield all season while Obi was a fixture in the second half of the season. Go figure....I guess you are right, Geremi is better than Mikel But lets not allow a little thing like facts to put san san in your jollification.

Kingman!!
Geremi's just been promoted Captain at Newcastle because he's found an organization that believes in his leadership as well as his ability to play. You're gonna tell me Maceo that Obi's a better baller than Geremi? Are you outta your mind bro? put aside who had how many minutes, put aside Mourinho's favoritism towards Mikel based on his "potential" and youth...LIST 5 THINGS Mikel has over Geremi as a midfielder in terms of playing, defending, set pieces or playmaking. I'm waiting....

[Killa Adjei]

Stop wasting your time man, it's no use...On this website Mikel is the best midfielder in the world but good to know there are many who don't agree...

[maceo4]

Your argument would make some sense if it wasn't a FACT that Obi and Geremi WERE ON THE SAME TEAM LAST SEASON. Geremi could not get one single minute in midfield all season while Obi was a fixture in the second half of the season. Go figure....I guess you are right, Geremi is better than Mikel But lets not allow a little thing like facts to put san san in your jollification.

Kingman!!
Geremi's just been promoted Captain at Newcastle because he's found an organization that believes in his leadership as well as his ability to play. You're gonna tell me Maceo that Obi's a better baller than Geremi? Are you outta your mind bro? put aside who had how many minutes, put aside Mourinho's favoritism towards Mikel based on his "potential" and youth...LIST 5 THINGS Mikel has over Geremi as a midfielder in terms of playing, defending, set pieces or playmaking. I'm waiting....

What? Obi is a better passer (both short and long), better dribbler, better at holding on to the ball, makes better decisions with the ball, he is a better player than Geremi was at 20, theres not even a shred of doubt about that! He's proven he is better than him by getting more PT at Chelsea. Its funny that you want to use "favoritism" as the reason Geremi got limited PT and was confined to RB when he did see any playing time. Where was this same favoritism when Mikel was lucky to get 5-10 minutes during the beginning of the season? Was it not half way through the season that Mikel finally earned his spot on the team and was putting in consistent performances. At one point Mikel was injured along with a whole host of other CM's and Chelsea was short of options in and not ONCE did JM consider Geremi an option for that position. That tells you a whole lot, infact I believe Mikel was rushed back so that he can play the FA Cup final even though he wasn't 100%. Favoritism my arse, how about he's just wasn't good enough. Theres no shame in that you know.

[airwolex]

Anyone who feels Mikel Obi's EPL material, let alone better than Makoun, Geremi and Mbami combined needs his head checked. The fact Mikel's playing in a better club than Makoun doesn't necessarily mean he's a better player. It's appauling to see how blind a few nigerians can be about this kid...how can you compare Mikel Obi to a Geremi, Mbami or Makoun? are you serious? just cuz he plays on what you PERCEIVE to be a better club than Makoun doesn't make him the better player. On that note, I'll finish my Mikel argument as I always do:
Denial is a b*tch...the kid sucks!!!:lol:

Your argument would make some sense if it wasn't a FACT that Obi and Geremi WERE ON THE SAME TEAM LAST SEASON. Geremi could not get one single minute in midfield all season while Obi was a fixture in the second half of the season. Go figure....I guess you are right, Geremi is better than Mikel But lets not allow a little thing like facts to put san san in your jollification.

Please Mace, leave them. I am a Chelsea fan and I know what I'm on about.

Truth is Geremi is a good player, probably Cameroons second best player, but Obi is better and improving everyday.

Makoun is also good, but until he leavse Lille then he will always be overlooked. Mbami is just plain useless.

I don't have time to argue with Younglioness and Bonecrusher, they lack objectivity.

Obi is in his second full season in Chelsea and has already solidified his position in Chelsea. Geremi has been discarded, Mbami started Lique one on the bench and Makoun loves it so much in Lille he has apparently rejected moves to Barcalona, Madrid and Manchester! And they have the gall to say Naijas lack objectivty!

[maceo4]

Stop wasting your time man, it's no use...On this website Mikel is the best midfielder in the world but good to know there are many who don't agree...

Its funny though, people are bringing facts to the table, but all you guys argument is just opinion. Is a Cameroon guy not gonna see his country's players as being better than they actually are just like a Nigerian would. But lets focus on the facts, and we have easy and straight forwards one with respect to Obi and Geremi yet someone is coming her to tell me that I should take his OPINION instead of FACT?

[Killa Adjei]

Stop wasting your time man, it's no use...On this website Mikel is the best midfielder in the world but good to know there are many who don't agree...

Its funny though, people are bringing facts to the table, but all you guys argument is just opinion. Is a Cameroon guy not gonna see his country's players as being better than they actually are just like a Nigerian would. But lets focus on the facts, and we have easy and straight forwards one with respect to Obi and Geremi yet someone is coming her to tell me that I should take his OPINION instead of FACT?

And what facts do you have that Obi is a better player than him...What accolades has Obi won as a player, what has he done at the international level, is it because he plays for Chelsea that makes him better...Heck there are guys like Ezquerro on Barcelona, does it make them better than Martins who is on Newcastle which is a smaller club than Barcelona...The only reason you guys have given is Obi played for Chelsea in his first year, what else has he done besides that, has he even scored a champions league goal talk less of won a champions league, the dude scores against 3rd division sides and all of a sudden he's the better than everyone else....

Geremi has played with the likes of Real Madrid who are a way bigger club than Chelsea and has won accolades with them, what has Obi won, the FA Cup....I remember some one on this site saying Obi would be better than Essien within 2 months, where is that person, is he still better than him....