John Obi Mikel has weighed in on Enzo Maresca’s tactical approach at Chelsea, questioning the manager’s frequent rotation and stressing the importance of consistency especially within a young squad, during a recent episode of the Obi One Podcast.
Maresca’s methods have been a growing topic of debate in football circles, particularly after the Chelsea head coach was recently linked with a potential future move to Manchester City as a possible successor to Pep Guardiola. The Italian tactician, however, moved quickly to shut down the speculation earlier today, reiterating his commitment to his current project and backing the Chelsea squad at his disposal.
Softfootball understands that Chelsea’s tactical balance has come under further scrutiny following their dramatic comeback against Newcastle, where the Blues rallied from two goals down to earn a draw a result that keeps them firmly in contention for a UEFA Champions League place.
According to the Obi One Podcast shared via the show’s official X handle, Mikel said:
Your best XI should [play more often than not]. You can see that with Pep Guardiola and [Arsenal as well]. Pep, when his team is winning, he rarely changes… when you start changing too much, it sort of affects the rhythm of the squad, the rhythm of the team.
Mourinho, when his team is winning, he rarely changes. He trusts his XI… This is my starting XI and I’m not going to change because we are on a run.
Especially when you’re a young team as well… you play one game, you play well, then all of a sudden the manager hooks you out… How do you mentally deal with that as well?
It’s kind of difficult… especially in the Premier League where every game is so difficult. So Enzo needs to find a way to deal with that situation… Give them a run of games and see what happens.
Watch full video below:
Mikel’s comments underline a broader concern about squad rhythm, confidence, and player development, suggesting that Maresca’s next challenge will be finding the right balance between managing workloads and allowing his strongest lineup the continuity needed to build momentum in the Premier League run-in.
