Siasia: To talk to Mikel, you have to be ready for your own beating

Former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, has advised anyone wishing to talk to John Mikel Obi on the need to improve his game to be ready for a “beating”.

Mikel, who played under Siasia at 2005 FIFA U20 World Cup but was dropped for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, has come under intense criticisms following his recent poor displays for the Super Eagles.

Now Siasia confirms that the midfielder does not welcome criticisms.

“Someone would have to talk to him. But to talk to Mikel, you have to be ready for your own beating,” Siasia told Africanfootball.com.

“From what we have seen and what people are talking about, they don’t think he is giving his best. But he should be able to criticise himself. He should do a self-critique. If he believes he is not doing well, he has to try and up his game.

“He has been watching the games from the World Cup. If he thinks he is not doing well, why he is not scoring, he has to be able to look at those videos and see the areas he needs to improve on.

“Nobody has to tell him. He is a professional. So, I am not going to criticise him. He has done well for this country but if he is not doing well like he used to, then something has to be done.”

As debate on which position – defensive or attacking midfield – best suits the player, Siasia who gave the player his international bow, concedes he is “confused” himself.

“I am actually confused on that one; I don’t know anymore,” he said.

“As a defensive midfield player, it doesn’t mean you should not go forward or try to take some shots at goal. (Nemanja) Matic is doing it; Ramires is doing it, so how come Mikel is not doing it? Why can’t he cover the box-to-box play? If you don’t get into the box, you can never shoot at goal. So, that is his problem.”

But ex-international, Tijani Babangida is not as “confused”.

“I think we should start playing him in a more familiar role. The role he plays at Chelsea, which is in the holding midfield position,” he said.

“He doesn’t seem to be able to function effectively in a play-making role as he used to, so maybe he should get a more familiar role.

“It seems best at this point to have him play in holding midfield. Maybe we’ll get the best out of him there.”