Former Nigeria international, John Obi Mikel, has said he does not think Marc Cucurella is Chelsea standard.
Cucurella joined the Blues from Brighton & Hove Albion last summer in a £62m deal.
The 25-year-old was in and out of Chelsea’s side in the previous season.
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He made 21 starts in the Premier League, and picked up a muscle injury towards the end of it.
Mikel, who has been spoke about the left-back on his podcast The Obi One Podcast, said Cucurella is not good enough for Chelsea, especially when compared to some of the left-backs the club have had in the past.
“He is not Chelsea standard. I wouldn’t say that.
“When you look at the left-backs we have had, Ashley Cole, Cesar Azpilicueta, William Gallas, you are talking about these players who have stayed at the club for many years, played so many games, and the standard they have set for that position… for me, he’s not at Chelsea standard.”
10 Comments
Didn’t know azpili and gallas to be LB.
They both played LB at many points in their career. And did exceptionally well.Azpi more so.
But we simply can’t call them LB, they only fill in whe. Needed.
Your problem is that you talk too much.. are you Chelsea standard yourself. Smh
Well, its his podcast….thats what they do…they talk. And stop saying trash, Mikel was actively playing in his entire 10 years at the club. He played in all the competitions and he played key roles in all the trophies the team won during his time at the club. So, yes, he’s entitle to have an opinion, like every other legend of the club.
You said what? Mikel started been little relevant to the team after balllack, makelele, Essien, lampard and all left, he is far behind all this players, even after all this players left, Mikel is never a guarantee starter throughout is time at Chelsea bar under di Mateo, yes this days he talk too much, he should start doing something with his time to avoid NFF didn’t give us ex SE jobs in future.
GUY, Mikel started 80/85%of the more than 600 games he played For Chelsea, He is a Chelsea legend and is still very relevant, that’s Why Journalists ask him questions about Chelsea. Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes always air their views on Man U . It’s very normal.
Fat mouth what is Chelsea standard??? Be talking anyhow when you were hawking pure water at age 5 child abuse how can you know the value of Mikel.
Mikel Obi , e be like say your podcast and the attention im dey get dey enter your head.
You talk too much. You of all people that was at the end of a lot of criticsm at chelsea is coming at another player. If you cannoy continue to encourage the team just keep quiet.
Also go and work on that your okrika british accent. You are struggling to communicate.
I hope Mikel does not land himself in problem with this his podcast.
Martin O’Neil recently blasted him for his comments on players’ rights.
Cucurella is struggling at Chelsea. But there are better ways to criticize a struggling player. Mikel himself had rough patches at Chelsea, and was also heavily criticized, especially for his sideways and backwards passes and lack of goals. Commentators often made fun of him, referring to his unflattering stats of around 300 premiership matches without a single goal. When he did score in other competitions, commentators would joke that it was a collector’s item. Mikel’s goals are as rare as the blue moon, they would say.
One would expect that a player who himself was heavily criticized would be a bit more reserved in his criticism of other struggling players.
Mikel has done well for himself, clubs he played for and Nigeria, and is highly regarded and respected in Nigeria and abroad. It would be a shame if ill conceived comments and viewpoints on his podcast ends up tarnishing his hard earned reputation.