Nigerian Players abroad Stoke City Manager Impressed With Mikel Debut Performance


Stoke City manager Michael O’Neill has failed Nigerian international John Mikel Obi for his performance against Millwall in the championship opener.

Mike who joined the Potters this summer made his debut on Saturday as both side settled for a point.

The Potters looked the more likely of the two teams to break the deadlock at The Den, however they were ultimately forced to settle for a point.

Read Also: Mikel Captain Stoke City To Victory Against Leeds United

O’Neill gave all three new players including Mikel their first Championship debut as Mikel went on to play full time.

Mikel was outstanding in the midfield for the Potters and his manager was very much impressed.

O’Neill in his post-match conference said he was satisfied with the performance of all the debutants.

“(Steven) Fletcher and Jacob Brown did very well, and the more minutes we get into John Obi Mikel the more game ready he becomes.

Speaking on the outcome of the game, he stressed that it was a tough game.

 “It was a tough game, which we knew it was going to be.

It was tough physically, both teams were very competitive.

“I thought there was a lot for us to be positive about. 

“We perhaps didn’t create as much as we would like, but I thought we looked very safe and strong defensively. 

“It’s early days but we just need to build another level with that bit more creativity.

“We are bringing players into the game who are maybe not as fully sharp and fit as they could be, but I thought they made a good impact.

“There was a lot of good stuff today, we just needed to find little solutions when we are further up the pitch to create more.”

Mikel had promised to help the club regain promotion back to the Premier League in his first interview after he signed for them.

Stoke will play against Bristol City next weekend.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *