By Monsurah Olatunji
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has strongly criticized Manchester United’s poor performance under new manager Ruben Amorim, labeling the team’s recent displays as “awful to watch.”
Currently sitting in 14th place in the Premier League, United is closer to the relegation zone than to the top of the table, having endured a difficult season.
Mikel expressed his frustration in a recent podcast episode, particularly following the team’s humiliating loss at Old Trafford in their final match of 2024.
“Even if you’re not a United fan, it’s awful to watch,” Mikel said in a video posted on his Instagram page.
While he acknowledged that Amorim is an excellent young manager, Mikel was scathing in his assessment of the players’ performances, noting that Newcastle could have easily scored three goals within the first 20 minutes of their match.
“Listen, it’s not the manager’s fault at all. Amorim is a fantastic manager, he’s a brilliant young manager,” Mikel commented.
“The players at United, I am sorry, they are nowhere near good enough to be playing at the club or competing in the top four or the Premier League.”
He further criticized key players, stating, “You’re talking from [Harry] Maguire, De Ligt, Casemiro, Eriksen, it’s awful to watch.”
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
