John Obi Mikel has just delivered a glowing verdict on a Chelsea player he heavily criticised in the past.
This current Chelsea squad has received a lot of criticism from pundits and supporters.
Of course, people are right to highlight the obvious lack of experience and leadership in such a young group. However, the players have rolled their sleeves up and could still make it a memorable 2024/25 season.
The Blues face Nottingham Forest on the final day of the Premier League season with Champions League qualification still on the line for both clubs. Incidentally, Jamie Carragher predicts Chelsea won’t get Champions League football because he expects them to draw at the City Ground on Sunday.
Afterwards, Enzo Maresca’s side face Spanish opposition Real Betis in the Conference League final.
John Obi Mikel amazed by the turnaround from Marc Cucurella
John Obi Mikel, the former Blues star, has raved about the impact of Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella recently.
During his third season at Stamford Bridge, the 26-year-old left-back has significantly raised his levels to emerge as a key figure in the starting XI.
When discussing Chelsea’s Cucurella on The Obi One Podcast, Mikel said: “It shows what patience does. Sometimes when you give players the belief and confidence, it shows what will happen. A player that we bought – everyone is thinking, ‘What the hell did we just get?’ Boy oh boy, has he turned it around. Now when he plays, he’s so aggressive.
“He’s always there niggling and biting. He’s a very annoying player, but a great, great player he’s become for the football club. Scoring goals, and every time we think things are not going well for us, he’s always there in the box trying to get us a win and a goal. Absolutely brilliant.”
Wayne Bridge claims Chelsea fans now love Marc Cucurella despite him struggling when he first joined from Brighton in the 2022 summer transfer window.
As a defender, he’s aggressive and reliable against any winger in the Premier League. You can tell he steps on the pitch each match with supreme confidence in where his game is at.
In addition, the Spanish full-back is now a major attacking threat for the team, having scored seven goals in 46 games across all competitions this season
John Obi Mikel said Marc Cucurella was ‘not Chelsea standard’ in 2023
It’s well documented that Cucurella had a rocky start to his Chelsea career, struggling to find his best form during his first two seasons at the club.
Back in December 2023, John Obi Mikel criticised Marc Cucurella by describing him as “not Chelsea standard”. Mikel said: “When you look at the left-backs we have had, Ashley Cole, Cesar Azpilicueta, William Gallas, you are talking about these players who have stayed at the club for many years, played so many games, and the standard they have set for that position… for me, he’s not at Chelsea standard.”
It’s great to see that Mikel has now performed a complete U-turn on Cucurella because he now values him as a key individual at Chelsea. We suspect a lot of supporters have changed their minds on him, too.
In the current Blues squad, Cucurella symbolises what it means to play for the club better than anyone this season with high work rate and overall contribution.
