Saturday’s bronze medal-winning feat of Dream Team VI saved Nigeria the same of exiting Rio 2016 Olympics without winning a single medal. While winning bronze in the male football event at least gave millions of Nigerians something to cheer about, it is John Obi Mikel who is likely the biggest beneficiary.

For years, Mikel has endured a love-hate relationship with Nigerian(and Chelsea) football fans. When he missed Nigeria’s matches, he was criticised for showing a lack of commitment; but when he marshalled the midfield as Nigeria won the 2013 AFCON, he was an instant hero.

When he sat on the bench at Chelsea, he was derided — and his detractors never remember that he has managed to play for all the managers that have come in since he joined 10 years ago. And when he played, the fault was that he never attacked — that he hardly scored. Since Jose Mourinho converted him to a defensive midfielder and other Super Eagles coaches followed suit, Mikel has been a shadow of himself.

But the Mikel we saw in Brazil was the Mikel of old — the Mikel who dazzled at the Holland 2005 World Youth Championship, completing series of skillful, clear-cut dribbles to create space for his teammates and make the striker’s job easy. Mikel won the Silver Ball at that tournament, bettered only by Lionel Messi, possibly the greatest ever human (or spirit) to play the game.

At Rio, Mikel was Nigeria’s most important player. Anyone who watched all of Nigeria’s matches will agree that we may not have made it out of the group stage without Mikel, and there was certainly no way we would have reached the semis without him.

He had a hand in more than half of The Dream Team’s goals at the tournament. In the only significant match lost by the team — the other was a dead robber — Mikel fashioned out the best chance of the game, slaloming past a maze of German defenders before unleashing an uncharacteristic shot. Were it not for some last-ditch defending by the Germans, he would have scored from that move and the Dream Team may well have advanced to the final.

Mikel’s statistics in Nigeria’s most important match of the tournament — the bronze medal duel with Honduras — says it all. Nigeria scored three goals; Mikel assisted all of them! Antonio Conte must surely be wondering by now where best to deploy Mikel, and his rumoured suitors, such as Inter Milan and Galatasaray must now be surer what asset awaits them should they concretise their interest.

Forget what is going on at Chelsea, is it time Nigeria converted Mikel to the Number 10 role, just behind the strikers. It is Gernot Rohr’s decision but let’s have your say! Should Gernot Rohr convert Mikel to an attacker for Super Eagles?

https://www.thecable.ng/your-say-should-rohr-convert-mikel-to-an-attacker-for-super-eagles?_e_pi_=7%2CPAGE_ID10%2C1458508666

ok

Noooo!!!..we have many attackers.....## He should be playing his usual position.

In my opinion, we have to look at the number 10 that are currently available in the squad first. We have Iheanacho and Brown Ideye as the two eminent number 10 now, and I believe Iheanacho is sometimes played as a top 9 in man city and brown ideye have performed well in that position especially when Emenike was the top 9.

With bringing Mikel in, I believe his impact will be exquisite because he provides extra confidence while leading the attack with fantabulous football control, precise, and brilliant long and shot passes, and good dribbling display. And also for the fact that Ideye's form has been erratic these days and with Iheanacho being used as a surrogation in top 9 for Ighalo who's goalscoring form has not been impressive recently, Mikel will be super attacking playmaker with his fascinating attracting orchestrations. His sublime exploits for the Super Eagles at the Confederations Cup, especially against Spain where Nigeria lacked a prolific striker to convert the chances that was masterminded by him in his attacking position was tenable.

Although he failed to really pose an enormous threat against the Germans in Rio but he came close to scoring the equalizer after going past about 3 defenders by some sensational dribbles, only to be denied by an apace slide by a German opponent, and his laudable assists in the tournament concertizes his dominance in attacking role for the team.

With his style of play, it is right to say he feels more comfortable when played as an attacking midfielder, and I believe because of such enravishment(amongst other reasons), he is now keen to participating in 2020 Olympics with the Nigerian Jersey.

bossto:
Noooo!!!..we have many attackers.....##
He should be playing his usual position.

How many of them could have replicated Mikel's feats in the just concluded Rio Olympics?

I know we have attackers, but we also have good players that can take up his former role like Nosa Igiebor, Wilfred Ndidi and Onazi.

Lalasticlala, it is good to see public express their opinions regarding this topic.

Lalasticlala i dey luk u wit my eye glass...no make me vex....

FowlYansh:
ok

I think the question was an Open Ended Question

TheGoodJoe:
It was refreshing seeing Mikel bring back the memories of 2005. Memories that makes you wonder, What Could have...

Mikel has loads of experience now but fortunately has more years to give the National team. I believe Rohr the Super Eagles Manager saw enough to show that we need Mikel orchestrating the creative attack of the team.


I say we continue from where we stopped at Rio with Mikel. Let him play as a creative attack midfielder.

Mikel can also be deployed as a deep-lying playmaker, just behind the AMF, when the team needs to exert it's influence in the midfield.
It was glaring that the Dream Team lost the midfield battle to the Germans; and Mikel was sorely needed in a deeper position to orchestrate the team's attacking moves.
What is clear to me is that Mikel can never be a top-class DM cos he doesn't have the energy to be hunting down opposition AMFs or forwards all the time

blueto:
In my opinion, we have to look at the number 10 that are currently available in the squad first. We have Iheanacho and Brown Ideye as the two eminent number 10 now, and I believe Iheanacho is sometimes played as a top 9 in man city and brown ideye have performed well in that position especially when Emenike was the top 9.

With bringing Mikel in, I believe his impact will be exquisite because he provides extra confidence while leading the attack with fantabulous football control, precise, and brilliant long and shot passes, and good dribbling display. And also for the fact that Ideye's form has been erratic these days and with Iheanacho being used as a surrogation in top 9 for Ighalo who's goalscoring form has not been impressive recently, Mikel will be super attacking playmaker with his fascinating attracting orchestrations. His sublime exploits for the Super Eagles at the Confederations Cup, especially against Spain where Nigeria lacked a prolific striker to convert the chances that was masterminded by him in his attacking position was tenable.

Although he failed to really pose an enormous threat against the Germans in Rio but he came close to scoring the equalizer after going past about 3 defenders by some sensational dribbles, only to be denied by an apace slide by a German opponent, and his laudable assists in the tournament concertizes his dominance in attacking role for the team.

With his style of play, it is right to say he feels more comfortable when played as an attacking midfielder, and I believe because of such enravishment(amongst other reasons), he is now keen to participating in 2020 Olympics with the Nigerian Jersey.

Oga do you know what a No 10 is and the function of a No 10?? how can you ascribe brown ideye a sriker/supporting striker as a No 10. you must be referring to Number 8 position....ihenacho and ideye are no No 10.