John Mikel Obi played a key role as Stoke City wrapped up their pre-season programme with a 1-0 win against Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon, reports Completesports.com.
Mikel was in action for 75 minutes against the Mapgies at the St James’ Park.
The midfielder was replaced by Jordan Paul Cousins.
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It was the Mikel’s third pre-season outing for the Potters following his arrival on a free transfer last month.
He scored on his first appearance against Shrewsbury Town and followed that up with another impressive showing against Leeds United earlier this week.
Sam Clucas scored the winning goal for Stoke City in the first half.
Stoke City will now shift attention towards the Championship opener against Millwall next Saturday.
By Adeboye Amosu
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COMMENTS
Mikel showing class again and again….LMAO.
Form is temporary, age is transient, but class is permanent.
Ndi “Nwakali is far better than all Nigerian midfielders including Mikel”…..over to una o. LMAO
… @Drey, Mikel has retired from SE setup. Just don’t sing his praises anymore… We know he has always been good and above all patriotic. Peddling his news and singing his praises won’t do SE any more good regardless. Nwakali is young let’s pray and support him, of all those we have at the moment he looks like the only one who can actually be a factor in play-making as Nigerians like it. The rest are tacklers and defence-screening midfielders… My opinion though. I greet Mr Analyses!
Jimmy I dont think its wrong in praising a Nigerian legend(yes i said legend)….what’s actually wrong is comparing him with all these Nigeria up and coming mdfs…Mikel is in a class of his own…
… Read Drey comment again. He praised Mikel and threw a sling and Nwakali and he is referring to me actually with that. We thank Mikel. For his services and he will always be loved…
Oga…I didnt throw any sling at Nwakali. I only rehashed some peoples’ quote for them to read and re-assess. LMAO
The issue with nwakali started with his choice of club, he wanted the big club not realising that to play in a big club you need to be extra special or extra talented. You need to be ontop of ur game every day. No time to grow or learn. He wanted arsenal, he couldn’t play for the main team, he went on loan, came back learn issues. Lost form, found it. Doesn’t do enough to get noticed by the national national team handlers. I hope he doesn’t go the way of a certain Rabiu Afolabi, who showed so much promise but never reached those heights.
Nigeria has talent in the midfield although we still welcome the likes of ejaria and eze because of the ability in central midfield.
He couldn’t play for Arsenal simply because of work permit issues not because he wasn’t good enough.
Guys please what’s going on with Etebo….is he still in Stoke or has Getafe signed him permanently because he has not even made any matchday squad through out this pre-season for stoke…he needs to leave that championship league
True ooo. Nobody has even heard anything regarding Etebo’s future if he has been signed permanently by Getafe or back here (Stoke) which seems Clearly he’s not wanted.
Etebo was caught in Nigeria by the Covid-19 lockdown. His season ended prematurely in Getafe. They gave not signed him permanently.
He is back with Stoke but it’s anybody’s guess whether he is in Nigeria or England at this time
One thing is for sure, he had not taken part in any preseason anywhere
Mikel is class. Always superb.
Coming down to who I think can feel his shoes in the Super Eagles successfully to me is now JOSEPH AYODELE ARIBO. Don’t get me wrong, am not saying he’s better but someone who can with time and age grow to be as superb or even better than Mikel was during his prime. The only advantage Nwakali has over Aribo is Free-Kick ability. Other than that, Aribo seems way better in all aspects. In terms of Commitment, Mikel’s humble attitude, Technical prowess, Ability to link up play, Long pass, Through balls is Joe ARIBO. ARIBO even adds goals to his own game. If you watch this guy play at Rangers, you’d wish 90 minutes is not over. He makes football enjoyable with his touch and move kind of game. He brings everybody around him into play. When he gives you the ball, just give him back, he takes on 1-2 and he’s off to Goal. Aribo is amazing! We’re lucky to have him I keep saying. At Rangers, he’s called by fans “THE MAGIC FEET”. And I’ve seen comment about him like, “Thank God we have him with us now before EPL Clubs come and snatch him up just like we lost……(that little boy at Chelsea with Jersey No.47).
So when it comes to the Midfield Battle, Nwakali has a long way to go compared to Aribo. In terms of DISCIPLINE and Technical aspect of the game not Owerri anyhow ball, he needs to learn more before he comes close to Aribo. My own take.
Aribo is a fantastic player and is a different breed in my opinion. He produces the passes, dribbles, feints, goals. Nwakali is however likened to Mikel because of some technical abilities and potentials he exuded at the cadet levels, also leadership, work rate(at U-17 level), set-piece abilities(which we obviously lack at the senior team), ability to control games and slow the game down when necessary.
We also have Iwobi and potentially Ejaria who are fantastic midfielders that can only bring competitiveness to the Eagles. Nwakali has really regressed and disappointed his fans but if he can pick up form and reach his potentials, he could be really unplayable.
Well said @Samib. Talking about OVIE EJARIA. That’s another big fish with killer passes. He did just that again for Reading in their Carabao Cup clash yesterday. Gave killer passes to there new striker that brought them from behind to win the game. Can’t wait to see him in the Naija jersey as well.
Honestly Kelechi Nwakali is the heir apparent to Mikel. He plays almost the same as Mikel. However, at this point in his career he’s got a long way to go to reach that level. Hopefully he finally reach his potential this season. From Huesca pre season games so far he has featured prominently. If he can command regularly playing time in La Liga he will definitely be higher up in the SuperEagles midfield pecking order. Aribo with that cultured left foot and Iwobi remains our most creative outlet at the moment, but Nwakali is a viable deep lying playmaker in the mold of the legendary Mikel. I can only wish him all the best this season and hope he reaches his potential by playing regularly in the Champions league and the also win the AFCON for Nigeria. Anything shot of that will be a huge disappointment.
Sensible talk. Not some beer parlour assertions that Nwakali is better than Mikel…LMAO
The kid has potentials…but still has a long long way to go. He has started most of Huesca’s pre-season games from the bench so far, an indication he might be starting the season from the bench too. Mikel at 33 and with months of inactivity has walked into Stoke city and shown class. But for fitness he his guaranteed to be named in the starting line-up when Stoke files out for their first games of the new season. K.Nwaks needs to first tie down a guaranteed starting shirt in Huesca and then break into the SE starting XI before anyone even starts bench-marking him with those who are already turning heads at the highest difficulty level of the game.
Fans should quit the hype of the kid and allow him reach his potentials.
This is the year that Nwakali will show his potentials. The same regrets Wolfsburg had over Osimehin will be recorded by Arsenal for letting him go away that easily. Let him play regular football in La-Liga for one year non stop and you will see that talent in him glow. Hard work brings out class in you and injury baring, this is Nwakali’s year. If Chukwueze and Osimehin can do it, then Nwakali can equally do it.