Guus Hiddink has labelled John Obi Mikel as the ideal player to bring balance to Chelsea’s midfield.
With the Blue’s recently parting ways with Jose Mourinho after a torrid start to their title defence, the Dutchman has been brought into Chelsea to see out the remainder of the season for the second time in his career.
Mikel, 28, seems to be benefitting from Hiddink’s arrival. The Nigerian midfielder has started the last two games for Chelsea, and much to his delight, the fans were chanting his name in full voice during the game against Crystal Palace.
Style of play
The 28-year-old’s game has always been subtle, never being one for impressive statistics and certainly not an impressive goal tally. However his performances lately have been seen as something that Chelsea have been lacking this season.
Nemanja Matic displayed how dominant and effective a defensive midfielder of his calibre can be when Chelsea stormed to the title last season. But his form has dropped significantly since then. Being one of the players who has seen criticism for substandard performances it appears that Hiddink, like the fans, has lost faith in the Serbian.
A difference between Matic and Mikel would perhaps be the manner they win the ball back. Matic is renowned for being aggressive in midfield, winning the ball back with more impactful tackles. Whereas Mikel is more likely to win the ball in a delicate manner, interceptions and loose balls being the aspects of the game that the Nigerian relies on.
When speaking about his style of play, the Chelsea boss stated: “He doesn’t do it in a very brutal way, he’s very elegant. What I like to see very much is not just a quality player but a player who can defend so smoothly.”
Completing 78 of his 82 attempted passes was an impressive return for Mikel, not many of them were particularly creative, but being able to obtain the ball and leave the creation to players such as Cesc Fabregas is the role he is happy to fill.
“If the team is not willing to defend well or have the right balance then you concede a lot of goals. I thought John Obi can be one of the key figures in getting the balance back.” Hiddink said about his midfielder, highlighting the defensive influence Mikel has on his side.
Player manager relationship
Mikel joined Chelsea in 2006 but has never really found himself as a consistent starter, having always fallen short of quality midfielders such as Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Michael Ballack.
Yet it appears that Hiddink very much admires the midfielder, shown by how often the Dutchman utilised him in his previous spell. Mikel started 16 of Hiddink’s 23 matches in charge of Chelsea in 2009. Winning 14 of them, and being a part of the FA Cup winning side against Everton.
Perhaps it is the feeling that his manager appreciates him that is bringing out the best in Mikel. Having long spent time away from the starting eleven, perhaps it is the 28-year-old who will help rejuvenate the fallen champions.
