Chelsea FC player evaluations 2015/16: John Obi Mikel

John Obi Mikel’s season mirrored that of Chelsea FC as a team. It started off poorly, before picking up under Guus Hiddink. Here is his evaluation.

33 Apps, 1 Goal - CM. Nigeria. JOHN OBI MIKEL. B+. Chelsea’s ace in the hole. When called upon by Hiddink he proved to be Chelsea’s most consistent player in the second half of a most unpredictable of seasons.

In the midst of a crisis we tend to fall back on the things we know. When Chelsea’s season spiralled out of control and into the most hapless title defense by any side in Premier league history, interim manager Guus Hiddink wisely turned to the dependable John Obi Mikel. Mostly unused and marginalized by Jose Mourinho, Mikel is the player who profited the most from the Portuguese’s demise.

The Nigerian, for most of his (10 year) tenure at the club, has been more of squad player than a guaranteed starter. But this season when the likes of Nemanja Matic – who last season appeared to be a player who couldn’t possibly be undone – seem to lose all confidence in himself and perhaps the team, Mikel stepped into that most important central-midfield position with the same assurance and confidence he has displayed since his 2006 arrival at SW6.

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Having started only 4 games under Mourinho in Chelsea’s first 24 fixtures (13 of those games remaining on the bench as an unused sub) the 29-year-old featured in Chelsea’s starting line-up 21 times out of a possible 26 matches under the stewardship of the cautious Hiddink. The interim boss, like a good doctor, sought to stop the hemorrhaging and bring balance back into a side which desperately needed it. And that is where Mikel excels.

"[Mikel] can recover the radar. He knows the game very well. He knows where the strength of the opponent is and he knows exactly how to cope with that. He has a very good eye, a very good nose, and a very good sense of where to recover. – Guus Hiddink via FourFourTwo"

Clearly, the Dutchman is a fan. But it was more than the sheer physical dominance that Mikel brought to Chelsea’s midfield that made a difference. His poise and elegance in tight spots portrayed a certain self-believe and swagger that Matic seemed to have lost since that near-fatal Ashley Barnes tackle in last year’s 1-1 draw against Burnley.

But lest we forget and make the Nigerian King of the Bridge, we must remember that he wasn’t just estranged from the squad by Mourinho. The likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Andre Villas Boas couldn’t really find a suitable position for him in the squad either, and perhaps for good reason.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 19 : Mikel John Obi of Chelsea and Manuel Lanzini of West Ham United during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on March 19, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images) /

Once the Blues seemed to regain some flair and creativity in their play, Mikel once again looked like the main source of cogwheel rigidity. Unwilling to risk a forward pass by fear of lowering his near 90% passing average, or maybe because of being pigeon-toed by the manager, the defensive midfielder frustrated once again.

"He doesn’t lose many balls, he’s good in short passing. I don’t expect and I don’t ask him to make the decisive final pass. He can, but no, we let the other players do that. – via FourFourTwo"

Which is shamefully surprising, because the Chelsea stalwart has proven his ability to push play forward and operate as a playmaker when on International duty with Nigeria.