English Premier League
John Obi Mikel calls for Maresca exit, critiques Chelsea’s current management
By Monsurah Olatunji
Former Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi has weighed in on the current struggles at Stamford Bridge, asserting that under the previous ownership of Roman Abramovich, Chelsea would have acted more swiftly and ruthlessly regarding manager Enzo Maresca’s position.
Mikel’s comments come after Chelsea dropped to sixth place in the Premier League, with only three wins from their last 11 matches.
Known for his sharp managerial decisions, Abramovich’s reign saw several managerial changes, often with little patience for underperformance. However, Mikel believes that under the new ownership, Chelsea has lacked the same ruthless approach.
Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, Mikel made his thoughts on the matter clear: “That would have been a f***ing crisis back in the day. The helicopter would have been, surely would have been landed by now. Surely would have landed by now,” he said.
“And whoever is in charge would have been gone. The helicopter would have landed by now. There’s no way, there’s no two ways about it.”
Mikel continued to clarify that he was not specifically calling for Maresca’s dismissal but expressed concern about the ongoing issues at the club: “My issue is that what is going on is not right.”
Additionally, Mikel raised concerns about Chelsea’s recruitment process, particularly during the summer transfer window.
He acknowledged the role of Paul Winstanley, Chelsea’s recruitment head, calling him a “smart guy” and a “clever guy.”
However, he critiqued the overall summer recruitment, stating, “I just think that the recruitment process in the summer wasn’t good enough, which I talked about.”
