Former Super Eagles midfielder reveals the challenges facing Liverpool and Manchester City stars at Stamford Bridge
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has shed light on the struggles that two football icons, Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah, faced during their time at Stamford Bridge, Soccernet.ng reports.
Currently a central figure at Manchester City, De Bruyne struggled to fit into Chelsea’s squad from 2012 to 2014.
Similarly, Salah, currently shining at Liverpool, also suffered from fitness issues and form for a short period in 2015-2016.
On the Obi One podcast, Mikel discussed the obstacles the duo faced.
Mikel suggested that De Bruyne’s actions during training prevented a smooth integration.
“I don’t think De Bruyne was the best coach at the time.” Manager Obi Mikel likened De Bruyne’s behavior to that of a kid being excluded from the playing field, saying: “He’s not the best coach to come to training.” “He was a great player. Probably because he didn’t play much. He always had his head down, and he was always angry and grumpy.”
Mikel also spoke about a heated argument between De Bruyne and former Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o during training.
“I remember when Samuel Eto’o tried him, and they made a big deal on the training ground just because he (De Bruyne) didn’t put in the effort that Eto’o wanted. There was an altercation and they had a great fight.” Columns on the field. ”
Mikel also said that part of the problem lay in then manager Jose Mourinho’s management style.
According to Mikel, Mourinho’s harsh approach affected both players and left them vulnerable to harsh criticism.
“They (Salah and De Bruyne) were so unlucky that Mourinho couldn’t take any prisoners. If you don’t do the job, it doesn’t matter who you are. I’ll try it with you.”
The Nigerian midfielder referred to an incident where Salah was brought to tears by Mourinho’s harsh criticism.
“Once he tried it on Mohamed Salah during half-time and he had tears in his eyes. We thought, ‘Okay, he can get back on the pitch.’
“But then he destroyed the boy and dragged him away.” But that was just his way of thinking at the time. But will Mourinho do it now? I’m afraid not. ”
Mikel’s 11 years at Chelsea were a period of remarkable success, including victories in the UEFA Champions League in the 2011/12 season and the UEFA Europa League in the 2012/13 season.
