Mauricio Pochettino issued brutal warning over Chelsea future and told to sign striker who will ‘get in the f***ing box’
JOHN OBI MIKEL says Chelsea need a striker who will “get in the f***ing box”.
But the former Blues midfielder warned Mauricio Pochettino that he is running out of time to prove to the new Stamford Bridge owners he is the right man for the job.
Mikel was one of the stalwarts of the Chelsea glory era that started under Jose Mourinho.
The Nigerian won the Champions League, Europa League, two Prem crowns and six domestic cups in his 11-year spell in West London.
But Mikel, who played alongside the likes of Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Diego Costa at the Bridge, is looking in disbelief at Chelsea’s current lack of a potent attacking threat.
Mikel said: “We need a striker, simple as that. We need a good one.
“If you watch Haaland, most of his goals, where are they?
“In the f***ing box. The box.
“So that’s where we need a striker to score goals – to get in the f***ing box.”
Mikel believes there is a simple solution available, in the shape of his fellow Nigerian Victor Osimhen – whose relationship with Napoli has become increasingly strained this season.
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He added: “For me, the one we need is Osimhen because he’s someone who would come in and score goals.
“He’s not the most technical guy but what he does is get you goals and that’s what we really need, we need goals.
“When I see him I can tell he is at the Chelsea level and he’ll get better with time.
“But the good thing about him is that he knows what his job is. His job is not to come in and mess around and that whole thing. It’s to score goals.”
Mikel, who played under six Blues managers in his spell at the club, gave a qualified vote of support for Pochettino, although it was a sugar-coated warning.
He said: “Everybody says we’ve spent a lot of money. Yes, we have.
“We’ve bought a lot of good players. They need time to improve, time to get better, to get up as a team.
“Poch is a really good manager, someone who works really well with the young players and with the team.
“But we’ve given them time now. It’s half a year together and now it’s time to win.
“At Chelsea, there’s no time. You have to win. That’s our motto.
“In my time, if you don’t win, Roman [Abramovich] gets you out of the door and gets someone else in.
“And that should be the new owners’ way of thinking. They are used to winning as well.
“If you don’t win, what’s the point of being at Chelsea? You have to win games.
“The excuse of trying to rebuild is done. So now we have to win games, we have to play better, we have to improve and try to compete.
“That’s the minimum now for this year. Then we can knock it on the head. But next year, we need to be there.”