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It has now been over a month since Chelsea’s separation from Jose Mourinho, and things are already noticeably better for the team from West London. In fact, Chelsea are unbeaten since Mourinho’s departure and Guus Hiddink’s subsequent hiring as interim manager.
It’s not just that. Aside from the obvious improvement in results, they look like a more inspired side. Players like Cesc Fabregas, Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa all look renewed. No longer are they going through the motions, waiting for teams to roll over simply because of the badge on the front of their jersey.
And no longer is Branislav Ivanovic sunbathing on a lawn chair when he should be engaging in a one-on-one situation. There’s genuine purpose and belief now, which is something that Chelsea were desperately lacking before.
That’s also not to say Chelsea are all of a sudden in the form that they were in when they won the title a year ago — because they’re not. But it’s most certainly not the same Chelsea that was hovering around the relegation zone under Mourinho. And while there are a number of people who deserve credit for Chelsea’s newfound form, there’s one man in particular who deserves a large share of the plaudits: (hint: it’s not Bono) John Obi Mikel.
The Nigerian International has been the single biggest beneficiary of Mourinho’s departure. Under Hiddink’s reign he’s reclaimed a spot in the starting lineup, forgoing his lifetime membership as a Chelsea substitute — a decision that has proven to be a stroke of genius.
Since Mikel’s inclusion in the starting lineup, Chelsea are unbeaten in seven Premier League games, winning two and drawing five. It’s not a coincidence, either. The holding midfielder has added discipline and structure to the midfield, and extra cover to the Chelsea defense. His willingness to sit in front of the back four has allowed other midfielder — the creative types like Fabregas, Oscar and even Nemanja Matic beside him — more creative freedom going forward.
It hasn’t just been his defensive abilities that have aided in Chelsea’s resurgence. It’s what he’s done on the other side of the ball, too. He’s a skilled passer who keeps track of the ball tremendously well, completing almost 90% of his passes, tops amongst Chelsea midfielders.
While he almost certainly won’t make the final pass, the simplicity in his game is something that Chelsea have been lacking at the holding position. Claude Makelele is surely smiling somewhere.
Perhaps the most telling statistic to Mikel’s effectiveness in the Chelsea side is this: since being restored to the starting lineup chelsea have kept four clean sheets in seven games, that according to Sky Sports. To put that into perspective, that’s the same amount of clean sheets they recorded over the previous 18 games. Chelsea are simply a more organized and defensively disciplined side with Mikel in the lineup.
Does this mean Chelsea will go on and finish in the top four in the league? No. Let’s not get carried away. But at 13th in the league and trending upward they have quelled any relegation concerns.
With Mikel in the lineup, however unlikely it may seem, Chelsea have found some sort of consistency and stability on the field. At times, there’s even a semblance of team chemistry. Was Mikel who Chelsea wanted? No. Was he who they needed? Apparently. Which, now that I think of it, sounds a lot like the role of Batman.
There you have it: John Obi Mikel is real life Batman.
