Arteta’s worries & Rosenior’s woes: Obi Mikel reacts as Arsenal cede title control & Chelsea lose again

20:41John Obi Mikel:So far, Mikel Atesta has found a way. He hasn't found a way of doing that. Come towards the end of the season. The crunch time, the squeaky bomb time, like Fergie calls it. You have to find a way of getting the best out of those plays. And so far, Mikel Atesta hasn't done that. So for me, I think this is the difference between both teams. That one manager has found a way of doing it and the other hasn't. The other is looking for excuses. The other has tried to win in the Premier League just with set pieces and counter kicks. And it's not working out right now for you with those set pieces and counter kicks.

21:12John Obi Mikel:What is the next option? What is the next options? So I saw a quote the other day of Jorginho saying, Did you see the quote of Georgina saying where he wanted to be free? When you spend so much time coaching a team on how to depend on set pieces, that is not fun. That is not fun. And that's what slowly happened with this Arsenal side. When you spend so much time coaching the players, practicing set pieces, corner kicks, throw wins, what happened to the credit side of the game? What happened to those potentials of those players that you have? You have to keep continuously coaching them how to bring out that best.

21:52John Obi Mikel:And he's failed to do that. So he needs to get back to that. Find a way of getting back to that. Get the best out of soccer. Get the best out of Eze. Harvard, other guy that is back, who I think makes them play better. We saw that yesterday. When he's on the pitch, they play a little bit better. So he needs to find a way of getting the best out of this side. But, you know, it is a crunch time. CTR on full flow. The momentum is on their side. And when I see a lot of some ex-players saying, oh, it doesn't matter if they'll go on to go trophy-less this season, but if he finishes a point behind and he crashes out of that, we need to give him perspective.

22:30What? It shows that they're moving in the right direction.

22:33John Obi Mikel:No, no, no. You're not moving in the right direction, mate. You've been there five, six years. And you've spent more than a billion. And these are your players. How many chances are you going to get? How many? This is the best season for them to win. This is going to be and has been the best. Yes. I still think they're in the pole position. I still think they can still go on and win it. So do I. But if he doesn't win it, if he doesn't cross the finish line, I've said it time and time again. He never will. I don't think he can. I don't think he will ever do it with this Arsenal side. So he has to walk.

23:08John Obi Mikel:He has to walk. He's done a fantastic job in building this court. Sometimes it's just about a different voice. Different voices that can come in, that the players that can buy into, the players can listen to, that can be able to cross, take this Arsenal side to the finish line. And if he doesn't do it this season, I think he needs to put his hand up and say, you know what? I have built you the best squad in the Premier League because I do think they have the best. In terms of players, in terms of squad, in terms of positions, he's done fantastically well in that sense. But going to the finish line, crossing the finish line, if he doesn't do it this season, I think he needs to put his hands up and he needs to walk.

23:46Yeah, there's a lot of talk. The owners want to give him a new contract. He said he doesn't want to talk about that now. I can wait until the end of the season. Interesting though, you're saying, John, if he doesn't win anything, if they fail to win the Premier League and they don't win the Champions League, Mikel's time, done. Mate, two, three months ago,

24:09John Obi Mikel:we were talking about a fucking quadruple. Some people were, yeah. What the hell were you talking about? It was realistic. It was there. Everybody was saying, wow, they look unbeatable. Yeah. They look like there's no one that can stop Arsenal right now. 11 points clear. 11 points clear. They were absolutely flying. They were winning. They were scoring goals by set pieces, which, yeah, whatever it was. But they were flying. They were winning games. And they were not conceding. And they were not conceding. They look rattled. They look like they've lost it. They look like a team that is out of self, a team that has zero confidence, a team that doesn't know what to do, a team that is finding it difficult to cope with the absolute pressure that is coming from Manchester City.

24:57John Obi Mikel:They're not going away, City. We knew that Manchester City were never going to go away. We knew they were always going to be there. Pep Guardiola will never roll the red cap in for you and say, you know what, come here, take it. No. No chance. No chance. We knew once Pep is able to get this new team, let's not forget. This is an absolute new squad. The players that left Manchester City, the legends that left the football club, Kai Walker, Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson, the spine of the football that left. And he managed to bring some new, young, talented players with potential. And we're all thinking, okay, he's rebuilding a new team, a new squad.

25:39John Obi Mikel:It's going to take him maybe a couple of seasons. We're thinking about next season before they start competing. But that's what you get from a manager that knows how to win games. A manager that never gives up. A manager that knows how to compete. A manager that never wants to give up and say, you know what, here you go, take it. A manager that's won the Premier League four times in a row, that always wants to win. The fire is still there. The desire to still go on and keep winning is still there. He still wants to keep going. The pressure will always be there. And Arsenal should know this. that the last person that's going to roll over for them to say, you know what, go on and win the Premier League is Pep Guardiola.

26:18John Obi Mikel:Especially when his progeny, somebody that left him, his second to go on to win the Premier League. He's never going to let that happen. No chance, Pep, he's going to let that happen. He can come out and say how much all of their friends say this. Pep, come on. He's never going to let one of his... Come and beat him. No chance. No chance. So we knew the pressure was never going to go away. And Arsenal should know that. and so far, they have failed, absolutely failed to deal with the pressure and the pressure is still there. The pressure is mounting. They have five games left. I think this week against the game against Newcastle is absolutely a must win for Arsenal.

26:55John Obi Mikel:Absolutely must win. There is no draw. There is no, if they draw or lose that game, that's it. I think it's done. If City win on Wednesday, go top of the league and if Arsenal fail to beat Newcastle, I think the season is done. I think they're still in the right position to go on to win the Premier League. Got to win all their games. But they have to win all their games. They can't afford to drop any more points because City will be there. City will be there. But again, like I said, Rodri has to be on the pitch. A lot of chat. Want to move on to Chelsea in a second, John. But a lot of chat. Great game.

27:29Great advert for the Premier League. Two teams going at it. You know, we talked about Arsenal's approach. That helps the product ultimately at the end of the day. but let's not sugarcoat it. They were very lucky to finish the game with 11 men. Gabriel, listen, I've seen a lot of stuff written about Oyer, like Haaland. If he had gone down, it was a red. No, VAR should have got involved. We do not need players rolling around the page.

27:53John Obi Mikel:We do not need players rolling around, exactly. We do not need players rolling around. It's a red card. And credit to Haaland. Or you can look at it and say, well, if they lost the game, a manager would be upset and say, why did you go down? Down to 10 men, we would have won the game. But again, they've won the game. So, Pep, okay, didn't complain that much. City, didn't complain that much. But for me, that incident is a 1 ,000%. 1 ,000 % a red card. There is no question about that. The reason we have VAI, again, the reason we have this is to be able to make these decisions, is to be able to get these decisions correct.

28:33John Obi Mikel:Absolutely correct. The law of the game states that once you're ahead, both players can come head to head. Yeah, fine. But once your head goes that way, leans over to head bird, it's an absolute straight red card. So, the excuse from the VAR was, the explanation was there was no force. There was no force towards the head bird. Nonsense. It's not until someone is knocked out on the pitch before the VAR. Oh yeah, okay, now, okay, now there's an absolute force. and now it's a red card. And needs Haaland. Or he needs Haaland to roll over on the floor. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Red card. We don't want to see that on the pitch.

29:11John Obi Mikel:We don't want to see that in a game today. Credit to Haaland, yeah, he stayed up. But that for me is an absolutely red card. There's no question about that. You can talk to anybody. Even they need to come out. PJMOL, they need to come out and say, absolutely, they got this one wrong. Because we've seen that given. We've seen players sent off situations like this. Where players have been sent off in situations like this. So for me, it's an absolute red card. Arsenal and Gabriel are so lucky to finish the game with 11 men. Absolutely lucky because for me, that is an absolute red card. There's no question about it.

29:43And had it been the other way around, John. Had it been the other way around? You and I both know who's hitting the ground.

29:49John Obi Mikel:Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Had it been the other way around, you would have seen some, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. That would have been Gabriel on the floor, rolling around like a little whatever. But it just shows the credit to Haaland. He stood up. He stayed on his feet. He didn't fall down. He didn't roll around. And that's what we want to see in the game. But Vieira is there to see those decisions and say, you know what? Although you didn't headbutt the player, but the intent was there. The intent is there. Your head was leaned over. You wanted to headbutt him. Not until we see players got knocked out, broken nose and everything.

30:23John Obi Mikel:They say, oh, is your nose broken? Okay, here you go. Now you're red-carded. No, that's not what we want to see. We want to see the rules being absolutely done correctly. And that was the rules. There's a consistency. That's for me, the consistency. They always fail. And I think the referee yesterday, Anthony Taylor, just in that situation for me, I think that's a situation where he absolutely chose the easy route. He chose the easy route to deal with the situation. Big game, massive game. He doesn't know what to do. He's confused. He doesn't have the balls to be able to know what. Yes, this is the rules.

31:01John Obi Mikel:This is the absolute rules. It is a red card. And I'm going to absolutely show you a straight red card. And off you go. Three games banned. And that would have been a massive, massive blow for Arsenal. That's it. Massive blow for Arsenal. So in terms of the Premier League titles. Yeah. Gabriel's got a win. Losing Gabriel for three games. That would have been a massive, massive blow for Arsenal. So for me, they are absolutely lucky to have him on the pitch. And Anthony Taylor will look back at that and say, you know what? I absolutely shit myself there because that's where he should have stood up and be bold enough to make the right decision.

31:34John Obi Mikel:I just think he chose the easy route and the wrong decision by yellow carding both players and saying, you know what? Just to be fair here, I don't want to show anyone red card because it's a massive game. It's a very, very important game. No, the rules is rules. Have the ball to make those decisions. You should have sent him off. You should have sent him off. He was so weak in that decision. absolutely weak. And I think Anthony Taylor is a good referee, but yesterday he was very, very weak. I thought he didn't handle the game really, really well. There was so much pulling, there's so much shoving, there's so much grabbing.

32:08John Obi Mikel:The way he handled the game and that decision that he failed of sending Gabriel off, for me, I just think he was so weak and he chose absolutely easy, easy route to save himself. Yeah. He doesn't want to get criticized the next day. It's a big game. It's a huge game. And he chose the easy, easy route. But then, VAR should have, absolutely should have called him back and said, you know what? That's an absolute straight card. You have to. You have to send him off. A great advert. It was. Listen, whether it was a red card or not, it was an incredible game. Chances at both ends. City won it. Of course, pitted one Manchester team against a team from London.

32:45You know where I'm going, John. The other match on Saturday night, they pitted a Manchester club against a London club. Stamford Bridge. I'll take the win all day long, John. it was a pretty Man United with a right back at centre half a young boy playing centre half and Aidan Heaven alongside yeah clean sheet to boot United will take that but for Chelsea John it's now one win in eight

33:09John Obi Mikel:not looking good it's now four defeats in the Premier League on the bounce yeah without scoring a goal obviously you don't need me to remind you beaten by Newcastle 1-0 you've got a 3-0 away loss at Everton a 3-0 home loss to City and now a 1-0 home loss to Man United. It's not good. And of course, seven points now behind Liverpool in the race. It's not looking good, mate. It's not looking good. It's not good. No, it's not looking good. I think when you look at the football club right now from top to bottom, nothing seems to be going well. Absolutely nothing seems to be going well. Where is the, again, what is the objective?

33:49John Obi Mikel:Where are we looking at? the worst thing you can do as a football club is to accept accept and be like okay we accept this is where we are right now this is who we're becoming I think that's the worst mistake you can make and I think that's probably what Arsenal Football Club did they started slowly but surely accepting who they are where they're becoming and that's why they went 22 years 22, 23 years of not winning the Premier League just getting into the Champions League Just getting into the Champions League is not good enough for a club like Chelsea. A club that has so far in the past 10, 15 years, whichever way you want to look at it, has been spoiled by winning trophies.

34:32John Obi Mikel:The fans have enjoyed the success that we created at the football club. Winning trophies, been successful. An owner that invested so much into the football club. Absolutely did everything for the football club. Those fans absolutely deserve to continue to enjoy what we've built, which is success, which is winning, competing, and showing up week in, week out. Right now, it's like we all accept who we are. We lose a game, oh, it's fine. We lose a game, oh, it's fine. It's not fucking okay. It's not okay. It's not fine. Chelsea Football Club is not that club. This is a football club that's been built as a machine to win, to keep winning, to keep being successful.

35:22John Obi Mikel:And in the past few years, the acceptancy of becoming this yo-yo football club is what is happening right now. And last week we talked about it from top to bottom. The top, obviously, the owners trickles down to the manager, to the players. If it's not working at the top, the people at the top are not there for the right reasons. The people at the top doesn't give a shit whether the team wins or whatever. What they care about is something else. Then it's becoming a different football club. When we were there, if we lose a game, a couple of games, two, three games, crisis, the owner comes in, yo, what's going on?

36:11John Obi Mikel:what's happening? How do we get back to winning ways? How do we resolve the situation? How do we fix this? Because this is not who we are. We need to get back to winning ways. It hurts when we lose games. It used to hurt when we used to lose games. And straight away, we find a way of getting back to winning ways. And I don't see that right now. I see a team. I see an owner. I see a manager. I see players that have accepted who we are, where we are going, the slop that we're getting into, the yo-yo team that we're becoming. I see that. I see a trend. I see players that are not upset when they lose games.

36:52John Obi Mikel:They're accepting of it. They're accepting who we're becoming. And that is bad. That is an absolutely bad situation. And I've said it. Once you as a football club start to get yourself out of the conversation, out of the equation of season in, season out, of competing to winning big titles, competing to being successful. Then the stripling stroke stopped going. And you find yourself there. And once you find yourself there, it's very, very hard. It takes a long time to rebuild yourself. And that's what I'm saying. We can see that we're Arsenal. It's taking Mikel Atesda five, six seasons to be able to get them to where they are, to this level where they are.

37:30John Obi Mikel:So I feel that this is where we're going. We're slowly but surely going down that route. We have to quickly, quickly, quickly, I mean quickly, talking about next season, next season, do I think he's the right manager to be there next season? I don't believe that. And when you look at the statement that the football club, the owners, when you look at your owners come out and make a statement like that, saying, we think he has every attribute to be successful here. Yeah. He goes on, this is Bidadig Bali. Of course, it's a results business, but we think he can be successful long-term. A lot of thinking in there.

38:13A lot of thinking in there.

38:14John Obi Mikel:They were not sure. They are still not sure. And right now, what message are you sending to the players? What message are you sending to the fans? To the people who absolutely love the football club, when you make decisions like that, that you think that you're not so sure about, You think he's the guy to lead us. You think he's been successful. They are not sure. How can the fans, how can the players trust the process? What you're trying to build. What you're trying to say that you're trying to build. The fans have to believe it. And when you make statements like that, absolutely zero belief, the fans believe.

38:50John Obi Mikel:You've given the players the excuse to not run through brick walls for this manager. You've given the players an escape route of thinking, we're not sure if he's going to be there next season. The statement is an absolute shambles. Again, it comes down to ownership, management. And that is where this football club is going right now. I am absolutely heartbroken as a Chelsea player, as a fan right now that I am. Somebody who shed blood and tears for the football club. Somebody who absolutely was there when we absolutely dominated, won everything. If I tell you what it took us season and season out, when we go trophy lesson season before that, we look at each other and be like, that's an absolute bad season.

39:40John Obi Mikel:We have to get back to winning ways. Have to straight away. We have to bounce back. Would it hurt you all summer, John? Of course it would. Of course it would. It'll affect you. You go on holidays you don't want to be seen. You go training. You go running. You try to keep yourself fit. knowing that when the season kicks up next season, straight away you're right out there. You want to be there. You want to compete because you know last season wasn't good enough. You want to put it right this season by going on to win the Premier League, the FA Cup, competing to win the Champions League because that's the minimum that this football club demands of you.

40:16John Obi Mikel:Coming to the Chelsea Football Club doesn't mean you just want to wear the shirt. You just want to live in London, beautiful London, beautiful city. No! You know what, John? I get the impression now, to your point, a lot of young players there. Big, long contracts. Living in London. It's nice. Nice. Beautiful city. Amazing city. I know London. It's a bubble. When you play for Charles Football Club, you live in London, you gain good salaries. The city is an absolutely beautiful city. But you don't speak for that. If you don't have the right mentality to be able to compete, knowing where you are, why you are there.

40:53John Obi Mikel:You are there not to enjoy the city. You are there not to say, oh, tell your friends and family, I live in London, that's it. You are absolutely there for one reason. Winning for the football club. Winning for the badge. Competing for the badge. To continue the success, the culture of the football club. You have to. You have to. Now, I'm not saying don't enjoy your life. I'm not saying don't be. But the priority has to be winning for the football club. The priority has to be keeping the culture. Who we are, what we stand for, going, which is winning. And I feel like so many of these young players haven't quite got it yet, haven't quite understood the magnitude of the football club where they are, what it takes to be a Chelsea player, what are the demands of what it takes to be here, to be a Chelsea football club, to win.

41:43John Obi Mikel:And I just think because they're so inexperienced and also the manager is so inexperienced, who is leading who? Who is pushing who? Who is dragging who? When you have such a young team, you need an experienced manager to be able to guide them. So far, I don't see who's guiding who. And of course, at the top, it's an absolute shambles. Yeah, I mean, there's a lot to unpack there. I mean, ultimately, and I think you said it a couple of episodes ago that the longer this goes on, the bigger players might be looking at it thinking, I don't want to stick around for this. I might need to move on. One of the stats that I came across at the weekend, I couldn't believe it.

42:20I had to double check it. Bruno Fernandes with the assist for Matthias Cunha's goal. Now 18 assists for the season for Bruno. He's now two behind Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne's all-time record in the Premier League. Cole Palmer, you can argue Chelsea's own Bruno in the sense of their key creative fulcrum. He's got one assist. One assist. One assist.

42:41John Obi Mikel:The whole season? In the Premier League. It just shows you. That's mental. It shows you that sometimes when you have players like that, when you have your key players, your influential players, your key men, when things are not going right at a football club, it trickles down to the players. I've said it. When things are not going right at the football, at the top, it trickles down. It affects the players because number one, the uncertainty of what is happening affects the players. Not knowing what's happening, not knowing who's coming in or who's going out, not knowing who's going to be the manager next season, not knowing what the objective of the football club is, the direction of the football club is, affects the top players.

43:22John Obi Mikel:And then you have those players coming out and making statements, oh, they want to move on, oh, they want to go somewhere and win big trophies and compete. That is not the fault of these players. That is not the fault. Because they want to go out and win. They want to become competitive. They want to win trophies. They want to win big trophies. But don't come out and say, the problem that I have with the players, don't come out and say it in public. Go to the manager, knock on his door and say, you know what, thank you very much. I think I want to move on. that's what players should do but when you have your best player having one assist the whole season it's worrying it's worrying because how it just shows yes he's he's had injuries okay there's no question about that he's had injuries but cool palmer doesn't even know what's happening football when i watch him play right now it's easy it looks confused on the pitch he looks he doesn't know who he's playing with what is happening what the system is what the setup is There is no direction.

44:19John Obi Mikel:There is no direction. With Enzo Mariska, there was a direction. He knows where he needs to play. He knows he needs to play in that pocket between the right and the left. He needs to play in that pocket. Right now, he looks lost on the pitch. There is no sense of direction. And that's when I look at Real Rosinha. There is no instruction from the touchline. I don't see him managing the script. With Enzo, we know he can scream and shout and say, you stay there. You do that. He had a clear. He has a clear objective of how he want the teams to play. A philosophy of how he wants the team to play. I have absolutely zero idea of how, when I watch us play right now, I just see 11 bunch of young players running around and just chasing the ball around.

44:58John Obi Mikel:That's how I see us. That's how I see us. Honestly, there is no philosophy. There is no system. There is no tactics. There is absolutely zero. We've been losing the game. Nine minutes to go. You're substituting a defender for a defender. What is the logic? Where is the logic to that? you'll have it. Please tell me when we're losing a game at home Mourinho will substitute the whole fucking center backs and throw in all strikers to go and get a point to go and win the game. That is the mentality we have. But now you have a manager that we're losing the game 10 minutes to go he's substituting defenders for defenders.

45:44John Obi Mikel:Where is the logic? So if the owners were the ones making the decisions on the pitch of who comes in and who goes out. So you're telling me that is the decision that the owners have made? No, no, no. So who made the decision? That's Liam, of course. That's Liam. How can a manager, even me, even, listen, me and you, we never coached, right? Never done it. If your team is losing 10 minutes to go, you're playing at home. I ain't selling a defender for a defender. Oh, please. It's a fucking no-brainer. You don't teach these though. Everybody should know this. It's risk and reward. Get the big man up.

46:18Get it up there.

46:19John Obi Mikel:Because I'm losing anyways. Exactly. I would be, that's why I'm not managing. Get the big man up there. Bring all the strikers in. I'd get you up top, John. You'd get me up top there, mate. I'd come out of time, man. Bounce off of you, pal. Listen, it isn't great. And you know, there was a march before the game. I know French fans travelled over as well. It was very much clear. Lake Blue, cool out. Yeah. The message. I think there was about 500 fans in total on that. we're also seeing, which we were having a conversation about this off air, was the fact that a couple of Liam Resenior's ex-teammates, whether you think this is fair or not, they've been asked the question, do you recognise the man that you now see in front of you?

47:00I think Kevin Colban said no. I know Sean Davis has recently given an interview in which he said that, no, he doesn't see the Liam now that he saw in the dressing room. He's making the point, it feels like he's swallowed a dictionary. all of this, John, it's a little bit, I have a little bit of sympathy for Liam and truth, but what it doesn't do, it doesn't do him any good because the narrative is being built. The narrative and winning football matches is the only way you can stop it. But I would now be staggered, John staggered if Chelsea stick William into next season. And he's not helped himself.

47:36I get that. Listen,

47:38John Obi Mikel:Liam, I, I, I, the guy, I don't want to week in week. I'll talk about him. Talk about what I see about him and how I see the guy, whether he swallowed a dictionary or not. Like, it looks like it. This doesn't feel authentic. It doesn't. Absolutely doesn't. When you look at all the successful managers, look at them, all of them. Look at all of them. Enzo Mariska is the guy you see is the guy you see. Was Jose. Jose, of course. Jose, we know he's the guy you see is the guy you see, but he's also a blockbuster. You know, he gives the media what they want, you know, which is, you know, he gives them the show.

48:16John Obi Mikel:He gives them the little show, you know, but then in the dressing room, he's, you know, he gives them the show. So, but that's what he does. You know, Jose was successful like that. He's been successful like that. And, you know, the media absolutely loves him. You know, during press conference every Friday, they can't wait for the press conference with Jose because you never know what you're going to get. That is the thing with him. But he was always authentic. He never faked it. He never faked it. That's one thing with him. And what I see with Liam is just, you know, if you have your ex-team mates coming out and saying, we don't recognize who you are or who he is anymore.

48:54John Obi Mikel:He looks like he's faking everything. But that's what I said. From the very first minute when I listened to him in press conference, I said it. There is something about the guy that I do not like. There is something about him. Now, take away his coaching ability or anything. The only way somebody can be successful, the only way you can get the right message across, the only way you can get things sent across for your players to believe your message, your philosophy, the way you want things to be done, is by being authentic, is by being who you are, is by sending the right message and not sugarcoating things and not trying to be so intellectual.

49:35John Obi Mikel:intellectual. Just say it how it is. Just be natural. Just relax and be yourself. Just speak normally. Speak calmly. Express yourself in the right authentic way, in the right manner. Don't try to be so, it just doesn't work. And that's what I see when I say week in, week out, there is something about him that doesn't connect with the football club. I still don't see the connection between him and the football club with Chelsea football there is that thing it doesn't it doesn't sit well with me it doesn't sit well with a lot of people a lot of people don't sit working out he looks like a dead man walking to me he looks like a guy and when a club comes out and also make that statement that they've made when the owners come out and make that statement he looks like a guy who's just hanging on yeah it looks like a guy that you don't know when they're going to pull the trigger?

50:32John Obi Mikel:Absolutely no idea. I don't see him staying at the football club for a long time. I don't see that happening. So, he needs to just get back to being himself. Getting on with the job. He's here already. He's at the football club. Stop with the intellectual. Stop all that bullshit. Stop all that crap. Put aside. Be you. Be Liam Rossini. Be that guy. Free yourself. Enjoy where you are. Enjoy the competition where you are. You're in the Premier League. You're in the best league in the world. Enjoy it. Enjoy things. You're at Chelsea Football Club. Come on to press conference. Speak normally. Just be yourself.

51:11John Obi Mikel:Be yourself. And that's what we're seeing again with Mikel Ateta. He's not being himself. He's rattled all over the fucking gaff. He's lost it. And that's what I see that's affecting Arsenal Football Club right now. Yeah, I'll tell you as well, that game against Leeds United in the Emirates FA Cup semi-final is now massive. Huge. Massive. Huge, huge game. Because there's still a chance to win a trophy. Chelsea. Yep, there's still a chance of us winning a trophy. Huge game. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Huge game. Huge game. Playing Leeds at Wembley, right? Wembley, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's going to be tough.

51:45John Obi Mikel:It's going to be tough. Leeds are playing well. They're flying. Daniel Falker has done an absolutely fantastic job. He's kept them up. I think a lot of people were questioning whether he should stay or he should go because every time he brings a team up in the Premier League. They always go straight back down, but he's done an absolutely fantastic job this season of keeping... There's still a lot of games to play. There's still a lot of points to play for. I think they'll stay up. But I think they've done... So far, they've done well. I think they'll stay up and he's done an absolutely fantastic job and leads are flying.

52:15John Obi Mikel:They're playing well. They're competing. So we have a game in our hands. You know, it's not going to be an easy game. We still have a chance of winning a trophy this season. Now, if he goes on and winning the FA Cup, is that enough for him to stay at the football club if you ask me, no, no, no. I don't think so. I don't think so because I know a lot of people say it though, but there is something that's an extra feeling. There's an extra pressure and an extra motivation, credibility when you're competing to win in the Premier League and the Champions League rather than... No question. FA Cup is important.

52:59John Obi Mikel:competition. But I hear you. But the Premier League and the Champions League, they're totally different animals, mate. When you're in it, when you are in touching distance with it, you come into the dressing room, you come into training, everybody's hyped up, everybody's feeling good because you know that you're in touching distance. You know you can feel it, you can smell it. Or the big prizes. Yeah, exactly. The big prizes. It's there for you to win. So, yes, he can go on and win the FA Cup, but is that enough for him to stay? I personally wouldn't keep him at the job if we don't qualify for the Champions League.

53:35John Obi Mikel:If we qualify for the Champions League and win in the FA Cup, then I'll give him another season. I say, okay, that's good enough. But if we fail to qualify for the Champions League and win in the FA Cup, I don't think that's enough, mate. I don't think because it's shown me that we can't compete. So far, what it's shown everybody is that we can't compete in the Premier League. In the big games, no. In the big games. And so far, what you've been brought into Chelsea Football Club is to win the big titles. When you come into Chelsea Football, it's to win big titles. Nobody brought him into the football club saying, oh, you just have to win the League Cup and the FA Cup.

54:09John Obi Mikel:No. It's the Premier League and the Champions League. So, if we qualify for the Champions League and if he wins the FA Cup, in my opinion, I still don't believe that's enough. But again, it's up to the owners. Ultimately, seven points is the gap to Liverpool. they've still got to play Liverpool at Anfield and Liverpool have still got to go to Old Trafford Liverpool have still got Aston Villa as well so Liverpool have not got an easy run in do Chelsea make it though seven points to the gap five games to go do Chelsea make it? I think if you look at every team they've all stepped it up every team and the top four top five now they've all stepped it up you find the right way of stepping it up and that's what I think I said it getting rid of the manager we got rid of has taken up we took a step forward and we've taken five steps backwards.

54:57John Obi Mikel:So for us to be able to build ourselves back up to that place, that position where we are, where we could smell that we have a way through, we finally found something that was working, that we've taken five steps backwards. And it's like we are trying to figure things out again. In the crucial time of the season, the crucial part of the season where everybody's playing for something. Some people, relegation battle. Some people, European places. You know, the top two fighting for the Premier League. Everybody's playing for something. And so far, what we're doing is like, we're trying to figure things out, mate.

55:35Yeah.

55:35John Obi Mikel:We're trying to figure out who is starting 11. He doesn't even know who his starting 11 is. And we're in the crucial part of the season. He doesn't know. He's trying to change in place week in, week out. Somebody start. Ganache will start next. All of the fucking plays, mate. all over the pitch. We look like we have absolutely no clue, no sense of direction of where the football club is going. On the pitch and outside it. So when you see the fans come and protest the way they are, the fans from France also came in and also joined and sent Bluco out. That is a massive frustration. So you're not just looking at Chelsea Football Club.

56:16John Obi Mikel:You're looking at a team from France, Strasbourg, they can also feel that their football club is not run properly. The intentions of the football club is not the right one. And they've traveled so far from France to London to protest, to join the Chelsea fans to protest. Clearly there's something wrong. Clearly there's something going on. because you can see it. You can see it. And I think the Chelsea fans deserve more. The Chelsea fans deserve to have a say, to speak up. And the only way they can speak up is by absolutely protesting. The club needs to get back to what it is. What it is, is getting the players that are already made, players that are coming in to win.

57:11John Obi Mikel:Mix it up. Mix it up. You cannot win the Premier League titles with young players. No. It's never done. I never see it done. When you look at the Manchester United, the same, the Reikings, the Postcos. Yes, they did come through the Postcos. There was a mix. The class of 92, right? There was a mix then of Peter Schmeichel and all these guys. They were there. When you look at Arsenal, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, and then the Fabregas started coming through. You look at us, you know, there were young players, but there was mix of it. JT, you look at Liverpool, Steven Gerrard, you know, these guys.

57:51John Obi Mikel:There was always a mix. You can't, I've never seen a team that just go on to win in the Premier League with just young players. No, get the young players in, yes, to develop them because there's lots of potentials in there. But absolutely mix it up. The young players need some sense of direction during games because during it. If you've not been in games, tough games, difficult games, big games, you don't understand how it feels. Of course. Because sometimes the ball is going past you. You don't know what you're doing. You need a strong head. You need somebody with experience to say, you know what?

58:25I'm done.

58:26John Obi Mikel:I'm right next to you, mate. Calm down. Calm down. We will figure out a way. Just follow my lead. Follow my lead. That's what you need. And exactly what I got when I joined the football club at 18 years old. I had those big players right next to me sometimes the games were flying past me I can't I don't know what's you know what's happening and when you have the likes of Frank Lampard Michael Aley Michael Ayssen DJ Droga these guys right next to you JT they can say alright I'm sure they didn't say alright no no no of course there was a time they said you know get your fucking ass together but there was also a time when they knew they have to you know what stick with me stick with me we'll find a way we'll figure it out stick with me Let's just soak up this pressure.

59:09John Obi Mikel:And then when we have it, then we can, you know, we can, we can, we can, we can play. And that's what I see that these players don't have it. There's nobody that can say something to each other. And there's nobody that can grab each other and the fucking trot and say, wake the fuck up. Nobody. Nobody. And that's what I talk about, acceptancy. So it's all like, okay, it's fine. It's okay. But there was times when I never spoke, I didn't speak to my teammates for a couple of weeks. because we had a fight on the pitch, mate. Fuck off. Yeah, you too fuck off. All right, don't speak to me too. But then we go on winning the game.

59:47John Obi Mikel:That's the competitiveness. A week passed by, we don't speak to each other because we want to win because that's what it takes of being there at a football club. It takes that winning. And after that, we both know exactly what we wanted to achieve. And when we achieve it, we shake hands and we move on. And that's what I don't see at this football club right now. The acceptance of becoming a team that just accepts losing. It's frightening. It's scary. And I don't want to see us become a team that goes in the next five years of not winning the Premier League. Oh, man, it's going to break my heart because it's going to be tough.

1:00:21John Obi Mikel:Not just the Chelsea fans are going to be heartbroken because, again, the other teams are getting better. Getting better. Are we going to finish in the top four? Right now, with the way we're playing, not scoring a single goal in four games. where do you see the goal coming from? Where do you see us winning games from? Right now. City are winning. Arsenal are top of the league. Manchester United, fuck knows where they came from, but, you know, they're where they are right now. Some magic. Some magic that Michael Carrick is performing at the football club. Absolute magic compared to where they were when he took over to where they are right now.

1:00:59John Obi Mikel:And it's just the contrast of both teams, isn't it? Manchester United and Chelsea. Yeah. One seems to be on the way up. the other seems to be on the way down. It's like different. Do you think United are on a better trajectory? Of course. Of course. I think Michael Carrick is doing an absolutely fantastic job. I think next season if he gets the backing that he wants and I think if he gets the job obviously he's not been given a job yet. If he gets the job and he gets a little bit of backing he brings in I think he still needs a couple of centre backs and I think maybe another midfield player you know Maino now is performing he's playing well again and Casemiro is living in the football club, bringing somebody else that can, you know, has the grit to be able to tackle, run, and be that guy that can break up plays.

1:01:44John Obi Mikel:I think, you know, strikers forward, they have all the Mbemos and, you know, Konya, players who can create that. Cesco, you know, seems like he's finding his feet now. So the trajectory is there. You know, Manchester United are on their way up and we seem to be on their way down. So it's a worrying time for Chelsea fans. And I just hope that we can quickly, quickly, quickly get ourselves out of this mess that we find ourselves because we don't want to keep, we don't want to go five years, 10 years without winning the Premier League. And it just looks like that's where we're headed right now because City will spend again next season.

1:02:20John Obi Mikel:Arsenal will get better. Liverpool will get better. Manchester here will get better. Newcastle, I think next season will get better. Aston Villa will get better. So, you know, you see in teams, it's not becoming a top four right now. He's becoming a top six big teams, top eight. So we need to compete. We need to invest. Strengthen. We need to strengthen. Get a fucking top goalkeeper, a new manager. Get fucking Sanchez out of the football club. I mean, he can become a number two. Bring in a top, top goalkeeper. We've seen what a top goalkeeper does for a football club. We've seen that. And there's no magic about that.

1:02:56John Obi Mikel:When you have a top, top goalkeeper, you have built a solid foundation of being able to go on the season winning the Premier League it's going to be a big summer it's going to be a big few weeks of the season John ultimately City big win for them midweek and they will be top of the Premier League table of course there are still going to be twists and turns Chelsea fans let us know as well I'm sure yeah there's still going to be lots of twists and turns no doubt and again And I just think Arsenal and they need to find a way. They're not out of it yet. They're not out of it yet. They still have to believe.

1:03:36John Obi Mikel:But then where does that belief come from? Where does that self-belief come from? They have to find it. Nobody is coming to help them. There is nobody coming to help the football club. They have to find whatever it is to get them over the finish line. Within them, within, they have to find it between the players. The manager has to, this is where top managers end their money. A top manager ends his money when it's not going well, towards the crunch time of the season, towards the end of the season. When you are competing, five, six games to go, you're two, three points ahead and you've got pressure right behind you.

1:04:18John Obi Mikel:This is where top managers end their box. And Mikel Ateta has to do that. They have to find that. Whatever it is, they have to get it out. The mental side of the game, I said it, is a big, huge, huge side. Psychologically, they seem like they're not there. One team seems like they're there. They focus. One team seems like they're absolutely nailed on. They know exactly what they're doing. The other doesn't. The other looks like they're losing it right now. And this Arsenal fans, again, season after season, it looks like they're going to go trophyless again. It looks like they're going to go trophyless again.

1:05:01John Obi Mikel:And it's going to be an absolutely massive disaster. Massive disaster. It's going to be weak. If they go this season trophyless, absolute disaster. Yes, they have Atletico in the Champions League, which I think they might go through. Tough game. Tough game. They might go through. but then you might face then you have to face either Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich right now which both of them are absolutely on fire. They look like they're in a different world those two. The way PSG is playing. The way Bayern Munich is playing. Totally different. Absolutely on fire. So that's not a given in the Champions League.

1:05:37John Obi Mikel:No. Because you have two absolutely fantastic teams that's going to wait for you if you go past Atletico in the finals. So that's not a given. And they're still in the Premier League title. Five games. five games to go, three points. They still have to believe. Mikel Ateta, stop with the quotes. Stop with the fucking mind games that you play during training. Get back to basics. Stop the fucking TikTok movie. Stop that. Get back to basics. Focus. Focus. Get the team to focus on the mission ahead. The mission ahead is winning the Premier League. Stop the whole mind games. Try to play the mind. No.

1:06:15John Obi Mikel:Get your team in the room. Have a meeting. Have a discussion. Get the team out, dinner, whatever it is. Enjoy the situation where you are. He is not enjoying the situation where they find themselves. He looks like bag of nerves. And that nerves is what is rubbing off his team. His team looks nervous. They look absolutely shitting themselves every time I watch them. They look scared. They look nervous. Legs are heavy. Nobody knows what to do. Nobody knows what to do. And first time in such a long time, yesterday game, we didn't see David Drea. You know, after 10 minutes ago, he falls down with an arm's sting injury.

1:06:54John Obi Mikel:We didn't see that yesterday because they were losing. The mind games were not there. There was no cramp. No, there wasn't. There's nothing like that. They are rattled. They have to find a way. Calm yourselves down. Head straight. Do the basics. Because right now, City are doing the basics. They are doing the basics. Playing well, winning games. No complications. No complication. The manager comes out in press conferences. It doesn't complicate everything. Says the right thing at the right time. Makes the jokes. Sometimes doesn't. Sometimes he doesn't give you what you want. He doesn't give the media what they want.

1:07:29John Obi Mikel:That's just who he is because he's been there. He knows how to get, he knows how to play these games. And Mikel Ateta is not coping with it really well. They have to find a way. And it looks like it's slipping out of their hands. Can't wait. Can't wait for the next few weeks, John. Can't wait to be back in these chairs. Talking about it. big week upcoming of course it is Emirates FA Cup semi-final weekend big one for Chelsea and all of that big one for Arsenal as well next weekend against Newcastle and John and I will be back of course we will on taking the Mikel to discuss it all do subscribe to us if you haven't already leave a comment or two we'll get your comments I always keep an eye on them I know John does as well and yeah do make sure to follow us across our social media platforms as well Obi-Wan podcast fire fire Miguel Ateta I'm on fire you've been on fire I'll give you that podcast by Betwinner to that for now