John Obi Mikel says Chelsea made two big transfer mistakes in January

Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has criticised the nine for failing to fortify successful 2 areas portion they had the accidental successful the January transportation window.

Chelsea surpassed expectations crossed an fantabulous commencement to the play nether a caller caput manager successful Enzo Maresca, suffering conscionable 2 league defeats heading into the Christmas period.

But the westbound London giants person managed conscionable 3 wins from their past 9 games successful each competitions and present beryllium 4th successful the English apical flight, 13 points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

The concerning drop-off led to calls amongst Chelsea’s fanbase for reinforcements to beryllium brought successful implicit the winter, with some ends of the transportation seemingly successful request of freshening up.

Robert Sanchez sits joint-top of the database of Premier League goalkeepers with the astir mistakes starring to goals this word and large questions person been raised surrounding his spot betwixt the sticks.

In attack, Nicolas Jackson has experienced a worrying diminution successful signifier and appears to beryllium severely struggling for assurance successful beforehand of goal, failing to deed the people successful his past 8 matches successful each competitions.

‘As a striker, if you haven’t scored successful eight, that is massive,’ Obi Mikel said connected The Obi One Podcast.

‘But it’s not conscionable Nicolas. Again, it’s bully to spot that Pedro Neto came in, that’s what we’re crying retired for.

‘It’s not conscionable Nicolas that needs to beryllium chipping successful with the goals. We request goals from [Noni] Madueke, we request goals from Pedro Neto, we request goals from [Jadon] Sancho, not conscionable Nicolas.

‘But arsenic the main man, arsenic the apical striker, nary goals successful 8 is not bully enough.’

Maresca replaced Jackson successful lone the 52nd infinitesimal of Chelsea’s comeback triumph implicit West Ham connected Monday, with Marc Guiu brought connected successful his spot astatine Stamford Bridge.

According to Obi Mikel, Guiu is simply a subordinate with large imaginable – but not who Chelsea should beryllium relying connected to people important goals successful large games astatine this stage.

‘Now we’re looking astatine that and the manager has to hook him off. Who does helium bring in? An 18-year-old Marc Guiu,’ helium added.

‘He’s precise young, a talented subordinate and has got potential. But he’s not the striker that you bring successful erstwhile you request goals, erstwhile you request to triumph games.

‘For me, that’s thing we’re crying retired for. We request different apical striker.

‘The model is shut, unfortunately, and present we can’t bring anyone in. We didn’t bring successful a striker, we didn’t bring successful a goalkeeper.

‘That’s different model unopen without america making the signings we deliberation are going to assistance america decorativeness successful the apical four.’

After enjoying an awesome commencement to beingness astatine Chelsea, Jadon Sancho’s signifier has dropped of a cliff, with the England guardant mostly anonymous earlier being hooked connected Monday night.

Obi Mikel has been hugely disappointed by Sancho’s caller displays and hopes to spot the winger rediscover his mojo erstwhile again.

‘He came into the nine and we were each singing his praises due to the fact that of however good helium started,’ the two-time Premier League victor continued.

‘I was 1 of the radical saying, “Listen, if we tin get Jadon done the doorway it’s going to beryllium a monolithic boost for us”, and helium came successful and showed wherefore I wanted him to travel to the club.

‘He performed good the archetypal mates of games, the archetypal fewer games helium showed wherefore helium should beryllium astatine the shot club. He was getting the ball, helium was taking radical on, helium was moving astatine defenders, helium was creating chances.

‘But for the past fewer games we haven’t seen that. Since December, period, we haven’t seen thing from Jadon.

‘He can’t unbend and think, “I’ve travel into the shot club, I’ve played a fewer bully games and present I tin relax”… no, you can’t relax!

‘You did it earlier astatine Manchester United and present you’ve got an accidental to travel successful astatine Chelsea. You started good erstwhile you came successful and relax. No, you person to continue, you person proceed performing the mode you started, Jadon.

‘Get backmost to that mode of getting the ball, taking defenders on, creating chances. We don’t spot that anymore.’

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