The Football Maestro Who Never Scored A Goal

[Bigpokey24]

[EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA]

Mikel is the best football player out of Nigeria ever, and one of the best DMs in modern history. He came into limelight as an attacking MF who controls the game offensively but became a Chelsea legend as a MF who controlled the game defensively. Thats an unprecedented accomplishment for any player from anywhere. IMHO, Mikel is the best we’ve ever produced.

[ANC]

Mikel is the best football player out of Nigeria ever, and one of the best DMs in modern history. He came into limelight as an attacking MF who controls the game offensively but became a Chelsea legend as a MF who controlled the game defensively. Thats an unprecedented accomplishment for any player from anywhere. IMHO, Mikel is the best we’ve ever produced.

[Tbite]

Mikel is the best football player out of Nigeria ever, and one of the best DMs in modern history. He came into limelight as an attacking MF who controls the game offensively but became a Chelsea legend as a MF who controlled the game defensively. Thats an unprecedented accomplishment for any player from anywhere. IMHO, Mikel is the best we’ve ever produced.

Controversial but not outrageous. He is good enough for somebody to have that opinion. Of course most will disagree, but it is not a non-starter of an opinion.

He should be in the top 10. Of course there will be a strong bias for the Eagles of the older generation, but that is very unfair.

Mikel was of a VERY high calibre. There were essentially only two SE players on that level in his era, himself and Enyeama. So that actually diminishes just how great he was. If the team were generally of his ability, it would be more obvious to casual observers, that this wasn't just a player that was good in his time, but across the ENTIRE history of Nigerian football. There were some that momentarily showed glimpses. Onazi here and there, Taiwo here and there, the forwards showed a little bit here and there, Musa, Osaze, Ike Uche, Emenike, Victor Moses etc. But overall they were all beneath Mikel.

I think with the 90s Eagles, they have a massive advantage, in that their level was more consistent. It was not a one man team. It wasn't about Yekini, it wasn't about Oliseh, it wasn't even about Okocha or Amuneke or Ikepba or Kanu or this or that. The overall team was good. When everyone is good around you, it makes you look even better.

Look at Mikel versus Spain, confed cup, now imagine we didn't have nobodies like Gambo on the pitch! In that match he could have looked better than Messi! And I am not even sure I am exaggerating. Sure, Okocha also had some of those moments, Okocha versus Brazil (2003), maybe even Okocha versus Denmark, but generally I would say the 90s Eagles (spilling over to the early 2000s) were very uniform in their ability.

By the time Mikel was playing with Yobo, Yobo was already diminished. Kanu was diminished. And then if we want to play the club game, it isn't exactly a tough sell. Say what you want about talent, but consistency paints a strong picture. How many 90s footballers had Mikel's consistency? How many exactly? Maybe you can paint a 'what if picture'. What if Amuneke didn't get injured, what if Keshi wasn't the pioneer, what if Etim Esin had more opportunities, what if this, what if that, but if we look at things just purely for what they were, Mikel doesn't really stick out like a sore thumb.

It is a reasonable argument to put him among our all time greats, and if somebody went as far as to put him in the APEX, I would not call that person a moron. I am NOT saying it should be done, only that it CAN be done.

[Tbite]

but in terms of MY opinion, the short answer is, it is NOT obvious to me who our greatest player was.

It really is not obvious. Give whatever answer you want, but it is still not obvious. Say Kanu if you want, nope, not obvious. Say Okocha, nope, not obvious. Say Yekini or Finidi George or Keshi or Chukwu or whoever you want, NOPE, not obvious. Not obvious, not obvious, not obvious. So I am open to people giving their opinions, as long as they have a good reason for why.

of course you could think you are smart and cute by trying to hide among the crowd. Surely, it is Kanu, the most decorated Nigerian footballer, APOY winner, blah blah blah, yeah nope, that is still not obvious. Nice try though.

[ANC]

Kanu -1
Ademola Lookman-2
VO9-3

[Enugu II]

Kanu -1
Ademola Lookman-2
VO9-3

For me, Kanu would not even be part of my consideration when it comes to best NIGERIAN player. For me, to be best NIGERIAN player you must show it in GWG NT. Kanu was a striker but his average minutes for the NT will show he was largely substituted in most games. He failed to score, as a striker, in several AFCON. I know I am highlighting his lowlights but for one to be No. 1 all time those disappointing times should not be that large.

I would have Mikel ahead of Kanu but I am not too sure I will have him as best ever. At the moment the guy trending towards best ever is Osimhen and he is currently playing and counting. What may stand on his path to all time best is if he fails to win the AFCON for Nigeria but he has atleast willed Nigeria to a final.

[ANC]

Kanu -1
Ademola Lookman-2
VO9-3

For me, Kanu would not even be part of my consideration when it comes to best NIGERIAN player. For me, to be best NIGERIAN player you must show it in GWG NT. Kanu was a striker but his average minutes for the NT will show he was largely substituted in most games. He failed to score, as a striker, in several AFCON. I know I am highlighting his lowlights but for one to be No. 1 all time those disappointing times should not be that large.

I would have Mikel ahead of Kanu but I am not too sure I will have him as best ever. At the moment the guy trending towards best ever is Osimhen and he is currently playing and counting.

I listed my vote. I am happy you have your own vote too.

[Enugu II]

Kanu -1
Ademola Lookman-2
VO9-3

For me, Kanu would not even be part of my consideration when it comes to best NIGERIAN player. For me, to be best NIGERIAN player you must show it in GWG NT. Kanu was a striker but his average minutes for the NT will show he was largely substituted in most games. He failed to score, as a striker, in several AFCON. I know I am highlighting his lowlights but for one to be No. 1 all time those disappointing times should not be that large.

I would have Mikel ahead of Kanu but I am not too sure I will have him as best ever. At the moment the guy trending towards best ever is Osimhen and he is currently playing and counting.

I listed my vote. I am happy you have your own vote too.

ANC

Yea, everyone has an opinion. That is well understood. I just shared mine and I understand that there are others.

[joao]

Is this the same Mikel that was rubbished by some football ITKs on the site?

In my opinion, it will be hard to name the best Nigerian football player ever.
Mikel, without doubt is one of the better stars we have had with regards to
'quality and professional achievement'.

On-field success and stardom depends on a lot of factors - team/teammates,
coach, league, health, ...etc. Imagine Messi in the EPL, and in Mourinho's Chelsea
where 'parking the bus' is the culture.

[ANC]

Kanu -1
Ademola Lookman-2
VO9-3

For me, Kanu would not even be part of my consideration when it comes to best NIGERIAN player. For me, to be best NIGERIAN player you must show it in GWG NT. Kanu was a striker but his average minutes for the NT will show he was largely substituted in most games. He failed to score, as a striker, in several AFCON. I know I am highlighting his lowlights but for one to be No. 1 all time those disappointing times should not be that large.

I would have Mikel ahead of Kanu but I am not too sure I will have him as best ever. At the moment the guy trending towards best ever is Osimhen and he is currently playing and counting.

I listed my vote. I am happy you have your own vote too.

ANC

Yea, everyone has an opinion. That is well understood. I just shared mine and I understand that there are others.

Yes sir, my good professor.

[Tbite]

This IMO is Mikel's most impressive quality, and the only other Nigerian player that I have seen with my own two eyes that had a similar technical ability was Kanu Nwankwo.

Maybe Oliseh had it, I don't know, I didn't see it personally. Okocha's ability is very different to this. Apples and Oranges.

but in shielding the ball, only two names come to my mind, Mikel and Kanu. Just two.

Not Onazi, not Ndidi. Most players could sustain the pressure briefly, like Iwobi. Mikel is a rare breed that can SOAK up the press.

[Tbite]

In fact that one quality totally rubbishes his greatest bit of criticism which is sideways passing.

Mikel absorbs the press better than most footballers in history (not just Nigerian players), then what is the benefit of that? Because Mikel can ride the wave of just about any attack, it means that he attracts at least two players to him in every press, probably on average three players, and maybe even MORE.

So a lot of people missed one very critical detail. What exactly unfolded every time Mikel gave that sideways pass? Review all the clips where Mikel ever gave a sideways pass and you will notice an interesting pattern. In the BEFORE, the opposing team has shape, when he offloads the ball, they have lost their shape! He could even have taken the ball back into his own half by a metre or two and he would STILL have advanced the play holistically, because the balance of the opposing side has shifted. That pass he lays off to whoever his teammate happens to be, whether it be Lampard or Ashley Cole is NOT a deferral of responsibility! When the ball is laid off, they now have room to manoeuvre!

When they said that Mikel let other players shine, they do not mean that lightly. It is not even about the Makalele role, it is actually more important than that in a sense. It is not just the dirty work, it is the technical work. It is not just about cleaning up, it is about dictating the attack BEFORE the attack. People assume that defense and attack are like two opposing forces, they are fluid, and in the midfield (BOTH defensive and attacking players) are supposed to mediate between the two.

In fact the strategy would have worked wonders for Nigeria too, there would be no reason to change his role in Nigeria as we did. The main reason why we really had to, is because of a lack of talent. Mikel had to be MORE, because we didn't have other players. If you had other quality players who could take the ball forward, lets say pre-injury Onazi, then that quality that Mikel has to soak in the pressure is actually immensely valuable.

And the beauty of Mikel is that, it is a two pronged attack. If you assume that he won't offload the ball and you back away, he will then drive the ball deeper into your territory!

One of the main reasons why Mikel is underrated is actually because he is RARE. There haven't been many footballers like him before. You could assume he adapted qualities from others, but that just obscures your own understanding of what HE did differently as well.

[Bigpokey24]

[Bigpokey24]

[Bigpokey24]

[oscar52]

Mikel is the best football player out of Nigeria ever, and one of the best DMs in modern history. He came into limelight as an attacking MF who controls the game offensively but became a Chelsea legend as a MF who controlled the game defensively. Thats an unprecedented accomplishment for any player from anywhere. IMHO, Mikel is the best we’ve ever produced.

His drunk abi?

[ANC]

Mikel is the best football player out of Nigeria ever, and one of the best DMs in modern history. He came into limelight as an attacking MF who controls the game offensively but became a Chelsea legend as a MF who controlled the game defensively. Thats an unprecedented accomplishment for any player from anywhere. IMHO, Mikel is the best we’ve ever produced.

His drunk abi?

He is trying to get a loan from Bigpokey, that's the only possible explanation because I do not recall him ever stating such while Mikel was active.

[YemiBrazil]

Mikel is the best football player out of Nigeria ever, and one of the best DMs in modern history. He came into limelight as an attacking MF who controls the game offensively but became a Chelsea legend as a MF who controlled the game defensively. Thats an unprecedented accomplishment for any player from anywhere. IMHO, Mikel is the best we’ve ever produced.

His drunk abi?

He is trying to get a loan from Bigpokey, that's the only possible explanation because I do not recall him ever stating such while Mikel was active.

That explains it. Some people don drink too much burukutu this weekend come dey write yeye epistle to prove nonsense.

[akamoke]

Kanu -1
Ademola Lookman-2
VO9-3

For me, Kanu would not even be part of my consideration when it comes to best NIGERIAN player. For me, to be best NIGERIAN player you must show it in GWG NT. Kanu was a striker but his average minutes for the NT will show he was largely substituted in most games. He failed to score, as a striker, in several AFCON. I know I am highlighting his lowlights but for one to be No. 1 all time those disappointing times should not be that large.

I would have Mikel ahead of Kanu but I am not too sure I will have him as best ever. At the moment the guy trending towards best ever is Osimhen and he is currently playing and counting. What may stand on his path to all time best is if he fails to win the AFCON for Nigeria but he has atleast willed Nigeria to a final.

Agreed, Kanu is a great all round player but if we are looking solely for Super Eagles, then his returns are pretty poor, he wins us penalties though