Chelsea ‘better than’ Arsenal, finally the ‘real’ Reece James & unsung hero Pedro Neto

25:40John Obi Mikel:You have to win that game yesterday. They are disappointed. So they should be. They'll be thinking. Mikel Ateta last night after they get back was seeing his face. Was disappointed. Yeah. That's an opportunity missed. That is a big opportunity missed. Because if they had won that game, they would have gone what? Seven points. Seven point, Claire. Five right now of City. Five now of City. And they're still six ahead of you. Exactly. That is opportunity missed. and we can, I know we can talk about it. We can week out or most week they come, they draw a game. We say, oh yeah, it's a game, they've drawn a game.

26:15John Obi Mikel:Ah, but it's still time to contend this. But from the record of who we know, it's Arsenal. Slowly but surely, they find a way of bottling it. Slowly but surely, they're finding a way of fucking it up. Yes, you might say a draw. The Sunderland game, a draw. People say, oh, it's just one game. But with the record, It keeps creeping up. Yeah, they compact. You know what I mean? You can't keep saying, oh yeah, it's one game. Oh yeah, we've drawn. Okay. We still try to contend this. You never know what's going to happen in two, three weeks. This is the Premier League. This is the toughest league in the world.

26:52John Obi Mikel:When you listen to managers like Pep Guardiola tell you, sometimes when you're in a bad run, you're thinking, it compounds. Yes, you might say, oh one, two, three. And then it starts to three, four, five. and you can't find your way out of that bad run. That is what the Premier League gives you. When you get yourself into that bad run, it's a very difficult league to get yourself out of it. So, Arsenal players and Arsenal, they need to make sure that they don't find themselves in that situation. They are still the team to beat. They are still the favorite to win the league. There's no question about that.

27:30John Obi Mikel:But, when you keep drawing these games, we 10 men against us, we're fantastic. We played really well yesterday. But I thought they should have found, they didn't do enough. They did not create enough yesterday to say they deserve to win that game. They did not. I was disappointed with Saka yesterday. Disappointed with, yes, he created the goal yesterday. Yes. Kukurel did a brilliant job on him yesterday. But Eberichieze was nowhere to be found. Martinelli was nowhere to be found. Madweger came in, was absolutely poor. Yeah, he was. They were poor yesterday. Arsenal. Credit Chelsea on Nava. Credit to us.

28:08John Obi Mikel:We played amazing. We were superb yesterday. We were absolutely brilliant. But when you call yourself a team that wants to win the league, you haven't won the league for 20, 22, 23 years, whatever it is. This is the time you have to go for it. These are the games you have to win. Rivalry, the derby. Go there, make a statement and win that game. Then you call yourself, yes, now we are. Now we can beat ourselves on the chest and say, you know what? We are Arsenal Football Club and now we are going to win the league. But I think drawing that game yesterday just showed that there's still vulnerability in that team.

28:47John Obi Mikel:That you can get at them. You can get at them if you play well. If you're aggressive the way we were. The way Rhys James ran the show yesterday. The way Enzo Fernandez was tackling, running, doing everything to make sure that we don't lose that game yesterday. We were first to everything. We were winning the ball. We were creating chances. At some point, we looked at a team that, you know, with 11 men and then we're down to 10 men. That's the greatest compliment you can give. We sat back deep. We defended well. We knew what we were doing yesterday when we were down to 10 men. And that's what I loved about the team yesterday.

29:21John Obi Mikel:Sometimes when you find yourself in this situation, where teams are not going your way, how do you dig deep? How do you make sure you sit deep? How do you pull everybody together? And that's what I saw yesterday from the captain, from the lead at Riz James yesterday, pulling everybody together, making sure we stay compact. We're making sure we stay deep. When you have the ball, how do we break? These are the mentality I want to see. And this is the team that you can look at and say, yes, we are moving in the right direction. We are growing. We are getting better. We are getting stronger. Experience is growing in the team.

29:53John Obi Mikel:And that's what I loved yesterday with the game yesterday. Yes, we didn't win yesterday, but those difficult games where we had to sit deep, those games is where I want to see how do we react to it? And we reacted really, really well yesterday. And Maresca deserves credit. The tweaks that he made at halftime obviously went in at nil-nil. You get the goal. We often talk, and it's the old cliche, but goals change games. You get a goal, you've then got something to hold on to. You held on to it for a bit and then of course Marino steps up with a header. And then from there though, to your point, John, you were pretty comfortable.

30:27We were pretty comfortable. I've got to say, one man who's going to enjoy and he's earned his day off today Mark Kukaria, midweek against Laminya Mal. And then yesterday, against Pakaio Saka.

30:39John Obi Mikel:Give him two days off. He was magnificent. No, I think Kurela has been absolutely superb. Magnificent for the team. And remember when we got him, everybody's thinking, what the fuck have we got here? 60 million plus. But I mean, mate, he's just grown and grown and grown. And he's gotten better and better and better. Every game I watch him week in, week out, he plays the same way. He reminds me of a certain player, Aspilicueta. Yeah. A player that is always playing the same, the same. You know, it's that little player that's always there digging out your feet. You know, it's that little thing. Scottish Terrier dog.

31:14John Obi Mikel:You know, he's annoying, but he's good annoying. You know what I mean? I know exactly. You know what I mean? He's the kind of player that you want to get rid of him, but he never goes away. Yeah. He's there. He's this little small guy, but he never goes away. That's why I wanted to see the mentality. Tenacious. Sene issues. He's hungry. He's always there. He plays the same way 100 % every time. Week in, week out. You know what I mean? Played against Lamine, had him in his pocket. Played against Saka, had him in his pocket. But the only player so far this season that I know that had him on a toast was Michael Olisse.

31:49John Obi Mikel:Absolutely destroyed Kukorov. But we can forgive him for that. Had him on toast. We can forgive him for that. We can. But the team, listen, we can talk. so much about our team like what i saw yesterday was absolutely brilliant you know the way we are growing we look we look like a team that's developing a team that is growing um the mentality is coming is getting there the mentality the chelsea mentality the culture is it is getting there is getting there you can see slowly but surely and again when you see the captain fit and playing the chelsea way because he is an academy player he knows the culture of the football club and when i see when i saw him perform the way he did yesterday i was thinking to myself yes that's all that is our way that is the chelsea way and he has shown that to the players and to the fans to everybody that's been doubting criticizing reese james we can all eat our words because my word yesterday the guy was absolutely superb he played like i've never seen him before he was doing everything he was first on everything he was running tackling aggressivity he wasn't scared of getting injured he was putting his feet everything where he hurts He was winning everything.

33:00John Obi Mikel:He absolutely dominated Rhys James yesterday. Absolutely dominated Rhys James. The midfield of Arsenal, he was the guy. He ran the show yesterday. And when you see your captain performing that way and showing the other players how it should be done, that's what you want to see. That's what JT showed us when we were at the football club. He showed us what it meant to be at this football club. He showed us that you have to put your head where it hurts. You have to put your feet where it hurts. And that's one thing I have to say yesterday as well with Chaloba. After getting that knock, I think he got that knock before he scored the goal.

33:34Thank you, Pete.

33:35John Obi Mikel:Yeah. But if he's gone on with that knock and put his head again to get that header, because if you're cutting that knock, that bump on your face, a lot of players would be scared to put their head again where it hurts. But no, he went in there and put his head again where it hurts. Great header. And got a goal. That's what we talk about mentality. That's what we talk about the culture of the football club. Wanting to put your head where it hurts. to sacrifice for the football club, to sacrifice for the team, to make sure you get a result for the team. And that's what I saw yesterday. I was so impressed watching the team yesterday because everybody was absolutely brilliant.

34:10John Obi Mikel:Everybody was superb yesterday. You know, Sanchez was brilliant. Marlo Gusto was brilliant. He was brilliant. Absolutely fantastic. So for me, the team yesterday was really, really, really good. At some point when I look at the game yesterday, I thought we were 11 men and they were down to 10 men. That's how good we were. And I'm saying it again. Arsenal should be disappointed. If they are not, then they're not tied to contenders. They should be disappointed of not going on to win that game yesterday. They should have thrown the kitchen sink at us yesterday. The kitchen sink should have been thrown at us yesterday.

34:42John Obi Mikel:And they didn't do that enough yesterday. They did not do that enough yesterday. I feel like they didn't give everything, even when Jokeres came in. He didn't do enough. He didn't do enough. But we were superb. Yeah, you were. Six points is the gap. Of course, the battle continues. We're only still start of December. It's an awful long way. You often talk about the fact the festive period. The festive period. It's the big text for an awful lot of players. And that's why I thought Arsenal right now should have been seven, nine points. The fact that City and you guys… Structure the lead. Coming down to the festive period where the games is back-to-back, where it gets really, really cold, freezing.

35:19John Obi Mikel:The players, you know, the toes in your boots. Snooze, cold. that is where we separate the men from the boys. Where you're snooze. Exactly. That's where you separate the boys from the men. Because when you have to play with the snooze, the gloves, you put your boots on. Five minutes you walk on the pitch, your toes is blocked inside your football boots. You can't run. You can't put in tackles because you scared your legs, you're going to get hurt. Those are the games. Those are the period where you test yourself. And that's why I thought Arsenal right now should have been six, seven, nine points clear to give themselves a little bit of that buffer going into that Christmas period.

36:00John Obi Mikel:Because I know they will draw points. Everybody will draw points Christmas period because that is how it is. So looking at that period, it's going to be tough. It's going to be difficult. But I think that's where Arsenal will bottle it. I have to ask, who was the softest in winter, John? I can imagine. Were you a snood guy? Gloves. I was never the snoods guy, but gloves yes gloves yes but what usually killed me was that my toes mate when i put those boots on freezing oh my word the snow on the pitch the pitch back then when we used to play was a little bit bubbly the snows there's no the technology right now to melt the eyes just before they come out before they come out right now i think there's a lot more technology now to make it a bit more easier for them to play yeah but back then we didn't have all that fucking technology mate our toes were fucking frozen you finish the game there's blood underneath your toe that's how hard it was that's how difficult it was we used to finish games like four or five players the next day we're going you know you know to the training ground and there's blood underneath our toes and you see the physio the doctors they're putting needles to try to

37:13John Obi Mikel:needle going through your toes to to to crack the your your your your toenails open to get the blood out because you have to get the blood out that's the only way you can make it better that's the only way he was the softest he was the one that was i did it one time i never did again man it was fucking painful because the doctor went through my toenails and it just hit my skin. Boom. So it went through my toenails, the blood gushed out and then it just hit my, the skin, the skin of my toe. I screamed. And I said to myself, there is no fucking way I'm doing that again. No chance I'm doing that again.

37:58John Obi Mikel:Never again. So every time I had toe, blood on my, underneath my toe, I never showed it to the doctor. You never showed it? Never showed it to the doctor. I just took a painkiller. Or I get an injection. Injection is better. Better than getting a needle through the nail. Oh my God. I just get an injection, a painkiller injection for an hour or two hours. And then I play the game and that's it. After the game, I'm in fucking pain. I mean, of course you're used to the cold. You played in Norway. Yeah. For all kinds of six months, but you're used to the cold. These days now, these kids now, They have so much, so many technology right now to make it easier for them to play even when it's cold.

38:40I know Sean Bice, he's a guy that's banned hats.

38:43John Obi Mikel:You shouldn't be snooze. I think as football players, you shouldn't be playing games with snooze. There is no way you should be playing games with that. When I see that, I'm thinking, what the hell is going on here? A football player going in to play a Premier League game with a fucking snooze. No chance. No chance. That should be banned. No way. If I see that from my player, I'm pulling you off. You're not going to that pitch That's it You out You dark bugger You're done He doesn't like it Gloves yes Hats Snoods banned them all From training He's like Why would you wear them In training When you can't wear them In a game In training I don't mind Get the snoods off That's Sean Dyche In training I don't mind But in games You're going into a wall Yeah You can't be fucking Waged Mario Balotelli Loved the snoods Oh fucking I don't want to see that From player I think that should be banned In games No snoods That's it Gloves yes Gloves are allowed Right when we look at the table City far from convincing at the weekend 2-0 up 2-2 Phil Foden who's getting slowly back to where we saw him a season or so back not last season the season before that when he was named PFA Player of the Year 3-2 they're the big winner from the weekend John they were they were five points down yeah started the game really really well got the goal what in 50 59 seconds something like that and you think okay they're going to run away with it here and again going 2-0 up you're thinking okay that's it done.

40:07John Obi Mikel:Again, the Premier League. The Premier League. Twists and turns. You cannot be comfortable in the Premier League. You cannot. You cannot. Anything can happen at any time. Leeds United at the Etihad Stadium coming back from 2-0 down to equalize 2-2. And you're thinking, they look like the team that's going to go on and win it. They wanted to go on and win it. But then of course the man who's come back to form the man who's playing right now, like the field forwarding that we all know, playing in his favorite position, the field forwarding that has that first touch, that has that first start, that likes to play in that pocket.

40:46John Obi Mikel:When he plays there, he likes to create chances. That's his game. That's the way he wants to play. And of course, with Kevin De Bruyne moving on now, that's his position. And I hate when Pep Guardiola plays him on the wing because you can't get the best out of field. Play him in the middle where he likes to play, where he can create chances, where he likes to get on the ball and create chances and feed Haaland. That's where he loves to play. I know sometimes Pep is trying to accommodate Bernardo Silva. No. Phil. Phil has to play in the number 10 position. Cherokee as well is in that position. Cherokee play him on the wide.

41:21John Obi Mikel:Phil has to play in the number 10 position. That's where he's more involved. That's where he's more creative. You don't get the best out of Phil when he play him on the wing. And City struggle. They do struggle. went up went up 1-0 2-0 up and you think they're going to run away with it here because Leeds United in that first half they had nothing to offer absolutely zero to offer but again second half they credit to to Dana Falca make some changes you know in the second half they came out they came out a bit more direct with Calvary Louis coming to the game they went a bit more direct stretched TT you know playing long balls you know and Luis Diaz and Guardiola struggled to deal with him because he was a handful when he came on the pitch.

42:05John Obi Mikel:And that's how they equalized 2-2. And you're thinking, oh, City going to drop points here. But of course, Phil Foden, you know, what a turn. Got the ball from Cherokee. What a great turn. And to be able to have that awareness and that calmness when you're in that situation in the box where everybody was guarded. You know, there was no space to absolutely curl that ball around everybody. Just absolutely brilliant goal. And I'm so happy for Phil because I think he's a fantastic, fantastic young player. And to see him playing well now for Manchester City, the way he's been playing, the way we know.

42:38John Obi Mikel:I just think last season, the team struggled and he struggled massively. Now he's back playing really, really well. He looks stronger. He looks sharper. He looks happier. And he's been absolutely fantastic for City. Yeah, big win. You were saying as well, a little bit of a tete-a-tete at the end of the game. Peck Ward, Ayola and Erling Haaland remonstrating. They were having a difference of opinion on the pitch. Of course, no goal for Haaland. Not said that often this season. He's a machine, for goodness sake. You were saying to me, though, there's been a lot made of it. You'd have no problem if a Jose or a Carlo made a beeline for you on the pitch at the end of the game.

43:11Would you man up? Would you be able to handle that?

43:13John Obi Mikel:But I must say, though, I think, first of all, to go to that. I think that's one of, listen, Haaland has been absolutely magnificent, brilliant. and he's been playing so well for City, for his national team. He's qualified in our way to the World Cup, which is a great achievement. He's scored so many goals this season, but we can lay him off. He was absolutely poor in that game. Absolutely poor. At some point, I saw Bernardo Silva having a go at him because he wasn't pressing. He wasn't holding up the ball. He wasn't doing enough to hold up the ball when the ball is being played to him. He didn't do enough in that game and Pep on the touchline, time after time, was screaming at him.

43:51John Obi Mikel:Come on, come on, Haaland. we need you we need you give us a bit more and he wasn't for some reason he was sulking in that game he wasn't pressing he wasn't running whatever reason it was we lay him off it's a one-off game he's because he's he's been absolutely brilliant this season he's been absolutely fantastic this season for city so come towards the end of the city the game i think you yeah he was frustrated because he didn't get a bit more uh service whatever it's a one-off game sometimes Harlan, if you're not playing, if you're not scoring, give the team the other side of the game. Do the dirty job.

44:26John Obi Mikel:Hold up the play. Because you want to win the league. You want to also want to win the league, right? You want to compete to win the league. So, give the team a bit more. Do a bit more. Hold up the play. You know, press a bit more. He wasn't doing that. Every ball that came up to him in that game was won by the Leeds defenders. He didn't do enough. He didn't do enough. And he would be the first to put his hand up and say, you know what? Yes, it's a one-off game. I didn't do enough. And the team demanded more from him because they were struggling. When Leeds United equalized 2-2, they wanted a bit more from him, but he still wasn't.

44:59John Obi Mikel:He was just jogging and trotting on the pitch. You don't do that if you want to win the league. He knows better. Haaland knows better. He knows he needs to give the team a bit more. And I sense the frustration from Pep Guardiola. And of course, after the game, yes, both of them, you can see both on the pitch. not arguing, but we all know right now, 10 years in the league, Pep Guardiola, in the Premier League, we know the guy. He's a very, very emotional person. Yeah, yeah. Very emotional manager. Very emotional. And you can't be, you can't be successful without not being emotional, without kicking everything on the touchline, without, you know, living and breathing and eating the game, sleeping the game, being crazy about the game.

45:50John Obi Mikel:The guy, he's the most successful manager ever because that's what he does. He demands so much from his players. He demands everything from his players. And if he wants to show example to other players, that what he demands from everybody, it doesn't matter who you are, he has to go to the top dog. And the top dog is Ellie Harlan. If I have to show that I can speak to any player on that team to listen to me, I have to speak to Alan even when he's not performing. And that's what he did. Yes, maybe wear it and do it in the dressing room. But he's always done on the pitch. But he's always done on the pitch.

46:29You've said he's an emotional guy.

46:30John Obi Mikel:He's an emotional guy. He just can't help himself. He can't hold it. He can't wait to get into the dressing room. Because sometimes he feels, maybe he feels, you know what, if I went to like get into the dressing room, I must have calmed down a little bit and I wouldn't say what I had to say. Because that's what happens when he listens, they say, you know what? Take your time, go, come back next day. You must have come back and you have a bit more, you have the right word to say. I get that. Sometimes the best managers, the right managers, they say it on the page. They say it right there and then because they don't want to sleep over that because when they sleep over it, they come back the next day, a bit calmer.

47:06John Obi Mikel:They wouldn't say exactly what they have to say. So for me, he's an emotional guy. That's the way he deals with situations. he confronts it as soon as it happens on the pitch straight after the game and both of them were just having a chat you know they he was trying to hug harlan harlan wasn't having it you know he was a little bit upset he didn't score a goal he didn't get the service but i think pep was telling him you didn't give us enough yeah we demanded more from you you didn't give us enough yes you didn't score yes the service wasn't there today but give us more Do the dirty side of the game.

47:40John Obi Mikel:Press a bit more. Hold up the ball a bit more. Bring people into play. He didn't do that enough in that game. And yes, a lot of people might look at him and think, oh, is there going to be a riff beating ball? I don't think so. That's Pep Guardiola. That is his way. That is the way he coaches. That is the way he manages his players. And we've all talked about it so many times. Oh, Pep, stop it. Do it in a dressing room. No, he doesn't want to listen. That is his way. He does it week in, week out. He's not listening to what we have to say. he does it after the game, he goes up to his players and tell them exactly what he needed to be done.

48:13John Obi Mikel:Sometimes on that pitch as well, straight after the game, you can show the players on that pitch exactly what you want because you're right there and there. It's fresh on their brains. When you put that information on their brains right there and then, it might then sink into their brain. Next game, I know exactly what I have to do. And you'd have no problem with it. I wouldn't. I wouldn't. And I think also, one thing that, yes, in that game, Pep Guardiola felt like, you know what? Yes, I'm frustrated with Ellie Harlan. Yes, he's not going his way, but I need him.

48:48John Obi Mikel:He's too old. Leeds United have equalized. I can't take him off because we need to win the game. That is a frustration because he needs more from him. He can't take him off and bring someone else in. That's Ellie Harlan. That's Ellie Harlan. He can score at any time. That is a frustration. If it was someone else, He would just hook you up and say, you know what? You off. Replace you with someone else. But because he needs him. That's his best player. That's his go-to guy. That's his man. That's the top dog. He needs him. Yeah. Because he can get a goal out of nothing. So he was demanding a lot more from him in that game.

49:24John Obi Mikel:And that's why, because he couldn't take him off. He couldn't say, you know what? Come off. I'm going to bring in someone else. No. It's Erling Haaland. You need him. You're 2-0. You're playing a draw at home. You need to win the game. you have to go for it and who's the better player to live on the pitch early Highland he couldn't take him off and I think that's the frustration from Pembe Gadiou I take the point that you raised earlier on in this podcast John you know we're what are we three and a half months into the season and yet for all of Arsenal's dominance keeping clean sheets defensively looking so solid the gap is only five points only five points to this festive period so City and I've said on this pod City don't convince me they certainly didn't again at the weekend 2-0 up City 2-0 up up at home to 2-2, that just doesn't happen.

50:09So they ain't convincing, but equally, they're still within just five points. And you think, because we know, because you often say to me on this podcast, listen, all good and well-being in the moment, but historically, Arsenal have bottled it. Historically, City do put a 9-10, you know, winning run together. So with all of that in mind, Pep Guardiola, I think, will be quietly,

50:33John Obi Mikel:quietly, quietly, quietly, quietly, but surely knows that he's a manager that's won the Premier League six times and has won it four times in a row. He knows how to win the Premier League. He knows how to win titles. And right now, he'll be telling his team, you know what? We're okay. Five points, we're good. Yeah, we're okay. Five points, we're good. We can still do this. We can still do this. Historically, like you've said it, we know, of course, the other side of London, the red side, we know how they always mess it up, how they always and it's up to them to break that right ultimately it's up to them to break what historically they've done is this City team capable of putting 10 I'm not sure that's the thing historically we've known in the past that City can go and run yes 15 10 games unbeaten go on to win the league when the Gunderwan the Rodri feet the Kevin De Bruyne you know what I mean the Sterling the Aguirre Marcos.

51:35John Obi Mikel:Yes. You know what I mean? They can go on that run. Can this team? Can this team go on that run? I don't see it. Neither do I. I don't see it. So Pep Guardiola knows that. He needs to get his main man back on that pitch as quickly as possible. I understand the weight. I understand he wants to make sure when he comes back, he's fit and he's ready to go. He wants to make sure it's the right time. He's coming back on the pitch. He's coming back to the squad. And he's not going to go out again injured. He wants to have him. When he comes back, when Rodri comes back, Pep Guardiola wants to have him from now to later the season, fit and playing.

52:16John Obi Mikel:The question is, when he comes back, how do you manage his minutes? That's the question. Make no mistake about it. We all know that. Rodri is, for me, Manchester City's team, he's the most important player. He is the most important. I know I sound like a broken record when I say that, but it's a fact, it's a truth. When he plays, this City team plays way much better. They play the City way because he is that guy that dictates the game. Everything goes through him. So for me, are they capable of, is this City team, the question is, are they capable of going on that run? I've got my doubts. I don't believe that.

52:58John Obi Mikel:Can they go on to win the league? they have they are there five points it's not it's not 10 points it's not 15 points they are there yeah do they have the manager to go on and win the league that knows how to win the league yes they do do they have winners on that team that's won the that's won the Premier League that's won the Champions League yes they do do they have the winning mentality which is the most important thing yes they do the question is can they be consistent that's it in this city side I don't think right now they can they don't have the players that they have right now are still trying to gel.

53:31John Obi Mikel:They're still trying to get better. Sheik is trying to get better. Rindes as well. I don't know. Rindes has disappeared. You know, his few performers start of the season, he's just, he's gone missing Rindes. You know, he looks like a totally different player when he plays right now. Doku on and off, hot and cold. You need consistency in that city side. And they don't have it. They don't have it. They need to get Rodri back. If they have him back, if they get him back, I think they can be a much, much better team. Nico Gonzalez is doing a brilliant job, but he's not a Rodri. Rodri has mastered that position.

54:06John Obi Mikel:He knows how to get the city side to play well. And when he plays, they play way, way much better. So for me, are they title contenders? Yes. Are we Chelsea title contenders? The way we are playing? Of course, yes. We are there the way we are playing. We are one of the best team in terms of form right now. We are playing really, really some good football. We are playing with so much confidence. The bravery when we have the ball, the confidence when we have the ball, everybody looks comfortable and that's what you want to see. And the manager has got the best out of these players. He's giving them that confidence to go out there, perform, play well.

54:40John Obi Mikel:Don't be scared to make mistakes because you will make mistakes as a football player. The problem is when you don't try to do the right thing. Don't be scared to do the right thing. You will make mistakes doing the right thing. Keep doing it because if it works, magic. Tell you what, John, We're in for an unbelievable festive period. I cannot wait for the next few weeks. As you both said, it separates the men from the boys, this festive period. Last one. It is. It is. I promise you that. The festive period is when you separate the boys from the men. I remember going to games when we sit in the bus or we are flying.

55:13John Obi Mikel:Whatever it is, in that festive period, you hate everything. I promise you. Yeah, you don't want to be. You hate training. you hate being on the bus on the coach traveling two hours whatever it is you're going to you're going from london to beamingham it looks like you're traveling 20 hours that's how far it looks because the the the road is snow is slippery the bus drive travel very very slow everybody's on the bus is freezing you come out of the bus it's freezing you get in your room fuck me it's absolutely freezing get on the beach it's cold that is where you need to find that thing within you.

55:50John Obi Mikel:You have to find it. It has to come within you. Jose Mourinho used to tell us, I can't help you with this situation. You have to find out what is there inside you. The situation is not in the summer where everything is perfect. The grass is green. The weather is perfect. It's hot. It's sunny. You know, this situation, I can't help you. You mentally have to find that thing inside you, within you. mentally that you have to go out there and perform your toes i keep talking about why i didn't make it as a frozen you have to go out there and put yourself where it hurts knowing that you're cold you're gonna get injured you know you know everybody's gonna come the the the boots that you know the the you're making me feel cold when someone steps on you oh you just want to be a You just want to be at home with hot chocolate, flipping the channels and watching.

56:52John Obi Mikel:Exactly. That's what you want to do. But we are there doing our job. That's our job. And we have to perform. The fans don't fucking care. They don't give a shit. Just give three points. It's your fucking job, mate. Go out there and perform. Give three points. And we used to find that thing inside us. We used to go out there together, stick together you know what i mean jt used to go at us you know what i mean go there tim talk before the game yes it's fucking freezing yes it's cold you know tell the foreign players because they've just come into the country they have to learn the culture the winning mentality you can't put your hand up and say you know what sorry boss it was cold that's not a fucking excuse nobody gives a shit you're here to perform you have to perform and we used to go out there make sure would perform and win the game.

57:45I want to finish up. This man didn't have to worry about the cold over in South America. We've got to say well done to an old teammate of yours, a man that's been on this podcast. Do check it out. Felipe Luis. Copa Libertadores winner as manager of Flamengo. He won it twice as a player with a club. He's now won it his holy grail as a manager. Exactly, yeah. Won the win over Palmeiras. Just an incredible story. And that's a man that we've said on this pod his managerial career is now going to skywalk him.

58:17John Obi Mikel:I'd be surprised. I'd be surprised if we don't see him in the next two years. I think he's still another year. I think in the next two, three years if we don't see him in Europe. For sure. He's that good. He's that good. And not just that good. I think when we had him on the pod, just the way he talks about football, the insight he has about football, the knowledge that he has about football is incredible because I was listening to him. I was thinking, is this a guy I played with? You know, the transformation is absolutely fantastic. You know, going from being a player and now a manager, when I watch him on the touchline, he's so calm and assured of what he wants his team to do.

58:58John Obi Mikel:And his team just plays the way he wants them to play. They're aggressive. They're brave on the ball. They're confident. It doesn't matter who you are. They don't care. They play out from the back. They play on the front foot, which is what he said. I want my team to play on the front foot. I want my team to play quite expensive football. We want to be on the front foot. We want to attack. We want to be aggressive. And his team plays exactly the same way. So for me, he's a fantastic. He looks to me that he will be a top, top manager. And to see him achieve that one trophy that he told us on the port, he said, I asked him, I said, what is success to you right now?

59:34John Obi Mikel:He said, listen, Copa Libertadores, that's what I want to win. That's what this club wants to win. the standard, the demand of this football club is to win the Cup of Liberty. And it's to see somebody who mentioned it, talked about it, to go on and achieve it. And what they did in the Club World Cup as well, beating us 3-1. And he explained how the masterclass, the strategy, how he didn't sleep the day before, trying to conjure up the tactics, how he would play against us. And he gave us so much insight of how he beat us. it's incredible it's amazing to hear somebody talk about it and actually achieve it so for me I will be surprised if I don't see Filippo Luiz you know in Europe in the next two three years hopefully to come and coach Chelsea one day maybe one day he's also closing in on another league title as well it's a fantastic the job he's doing there is brilliant incredible it's a fantastic interview as well it's available on the podcast wherever you get your podcast it's available on our YouTube channel as well check it out fantastic John Obi in conversation with Felipe Luis a Copa Libertadores winner with Flamengo right John another edition of Taking the Mikel we've got to finish up because we've got to get this up yeah you know we just have to keep mentioning sometimes most of the time about they know that I have enough we know they are the team to win the league I think next time we just have to every time in this pod we have to bring a bottle and just drop it you've got to get in one last dig the Arsenal fans that's going to go viral now John's still digging you out the 1-1 draw we're Chelsea we never want to see Arsenal win the league I've got a bet on with you don't I yes we've made a little bet winner bet John I think you're going to be taking me out for dinner at the end of the season but let's see right that is it for us another edition of Take of the McHale there's going to be many of these I'm sure over the festive periods next big interview is on the way as well.

1:01:39That one, I'm not going to reveal exactly who now. It's another belter as well on the Obi-Wan podcast made possible by Betwinner. For now though, you need to really show us your toes, John. I want to see the damage.

1:01:49John Obi Mikel:Oh yeah. My kids always ask me that. Why is your nose always, why is it crooked? Now we know. Like that toe is fucking paying your school fees, man. Ta-ra from us.

1:02:06Thank you.