The Obi One Podcast

It’s the morning after the night before and Arsenal’s first Premier League title in 22 years. John Obi Mikel gives his verdict, and there’s begrudging respect there. With Pep Guardiola set to depart Manchester City after a decade as manager, Mikel and Chris discuss his legacy and ask whether he really is the greatest the Premier League has ever had. Xabi Alonso’s appointment as Chelsea boss comes...

Chelsea is a club on its knees. Six successive league defeats, four on the bounce at Stamford Bridge and the worst run of results since 1993. Little wonder then, Blues legend John Obi Mikel is crestfallen. Resigned to Chelsea’s fate this season, Mikel calls out the club’s ills and demands a reset this summer as he fears the club are slipping into mediocrity and a finish outside the top half. So wh...

Chelsea is a club on its knees. Six successive league defeats, four on the bounce at Stamford Bridge and the worst run of results since 1993. Little wonder then, Blues legend John Obi Mikel is crestfallen. Resigned to Chelsea’s fate this season, Mikel calls out the club’s ills and demands a reset this summer as he fears the club are slipping into mediocrity and a finish outside the top half. So wh...

There’s no shortage of talking points for John Obi Mikel and Chris McHardy to wade through after a tumultuous week that saw Chelsea sack boss Liam Rosenior AND reach the FA Cup Final. As always, Mikel doesn’t hold back as he applauds Chelsea’s win over Leeds AND picks through the wreckage of their’s shambolic 3-0 loss at Brighton, a result that ended Rosenior’s tenure after just 106 days. Who’s ne...

John Obi Mikel and Chris McHardy discuss the weekend’s top stories as Manchester City wrestle control of the title race from Arsenal. It’s now just one win in six for the Gunners as they are edged out at the Etihad Stadium, and Obi Mikel isn’t happy with Mikel Arteta. Mikel also has his say on Gabriel’s headbutt on Erling Haaland and ponders whether Arsenal will not be more comfortable hunting rat...

John Obi Mikel and Chris McHardy walk back arguably the best weekend of the Premier League season so far as Arsenal hand the title initiative to City, Chelsea draw a blank (again) and Tottenham’s relegation troubles deepen. Mikel wants Arsenal to ditch the gimmicks and go back to basics, he identifies the REAL reason Man City are back in the title race and he sets the record straight on Liam Delap...

In this episode of Taking the Mikel, John Obi and Chris McHardy delve into Chelsea’s recent woes. From defeats on the pitch to key players speaking out on Enzo Maresca’s departure. What does it all mean for Liam Rosenior? Mikel doesn’t hold back on his assessment. Simply put: it’s Champions League or bust. The guys also discuss Roberto de Zerbi’s appointment as Tottenham’s new boss and why it spel...

John Obi Mikel and Chris McHardy are in Nairobi in this episode of the podcast to catch up with Kenyan trailblazers: brothers MacDonald Mariga and Victor Wanyama. First up, Mariga lifts the lid on working with José Mourinho, becoming the first player from Kenya to lift the UEFA Championd League and why a potential move to Manchester City was scuppered. He also gives his take on the current state o...

John Obi Mikel and Salomon Kalou have had a brotherly bond since their days together at Chelsea. And that unique friendship is on display here as the two men reunite for a candid and, at times, hilarious jaunt down memory lane. Here, Kalou recounts the lengths José Mourinho went to scout him in person at Feyenoord, his first meeting with Roman Abramovich at a place where ‘everyone signed on the do...

Things get heated in this episode of Taking the Mikel as John Obi can’t hide his disgust at what he calls Arsenal’s “cheat code”: their set-pieces. No one is safe as the former Chelsea man hits out at Mikel Arteta and the standard of officiating in the Premier League. But is there an ulterior motive? All is revealed. Mikel and Chris also weigh into the debate over Michael Carrick’s long-term futur...

Taking the Mikel is back with a bang as John Obi Mikel and Chris McHardy run the rule over a controversial week. First up, the race for the Premier League title, and Mikel refuses to get carried away with Arsenal’s 4-1 at Tottenham for one major reason. Doubts over this Chelsea team linger, but Mikel has Liam Rosenior’s back when it comes to trolling on social media. John and Chris also wade into...

Luís Figo is a footballing icon. One of the greatest players of his generation, a Ballon d’Or winner and the subject of one of the most controversial and talked about transfers of all time. Here, the Portuguese sits down with John and Chris at the Melia Desert Palm in Dubai to reflect on his illustrious career, and set the record straight once and for all. So what does he REALLY think of Cristiano...

The Obi One Podcast is on the road again, this time in Abidjan for a live event with special guest Wilfried Bony. A cult hero at Swansea, a League Cup winner with Manchester City and an African champion with his beloved Ivory Coast, Bony looks back on his career and some of the sliding door moments within it. he came close to a move to Arsenal after a clandestine meeting with then boss Arsene Weng...

Diego Costa is a two-time Premier League winner, a Chelsea cult hero, and a man who gave many a defender sleepless nights He remains, however, somewhat of an enigma. In this exclusive interview, Diego sits down with his former Chelsea team-mate John Obi Mikel and Chris McHardy to set the record straight. Is he the snarling, aggressive man we see on the pitch or simply misunderstood? So, why did he...

The Obi One Podcast is on the road again, this time back in Istanbul to chat to Besiktas’ cult hero Atiba Hutchinson. The Canadian spent a decade with the club, winning three league titles and a Turkish Cup during that period to establish himself as one of the club’s greatest ever players. Alongside a coterie of die-hard Besiktas fans, John Obi Mikel and Chris McHardy quiz the Canadian on life in...

New Year, New Managers! We kick things off with why Maresca’s exit felt like an “accident waiting to happen” — and John Obi Mikel asks the big question: what’s Chelsea’s objective right now? Then it’s on to Manchester United: ownership chaos, and why the biggest names won’t walk into a job where they’re expected to be a yes-man. And finally, Nigeria. Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel give...

Settle in, folks as John Obi Mikel and Chris McHardy bring you this extended version of Taking the Mikel, and for good reason, as there’s no shortage of talking points. In this episode, the guys try to decipher Enzo Maresca’s cryptic post-match comments as Chelsea return to winning ways, while Mikel has some friendly advice for the Blues boss. Mikel also weighs into the spat between Mohamed Salah,...

He’s one of the most recognisable faces in the UK for his work on - and off - the pitch. A prolific goalscorer for England turned host of the BBC’s iconic Match of the Day TV programme. Now embarking on a new chapter with his hugely-popular The Rest is Football podcast, Gary Lineker sits down with John Obi Mikel and Chris McHardy to reminisce. And there’s plenty on the agenda. From his fallout wit...

John Obi Mikel and Chris McHardy are back in the hotseats as they pour over Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with league leaders Arsenal. Did Moises Caicedo deserve his red card? And what did we learn about Chelsea as again, in the big games, they come to the fore. Obi has words of praise for an embattled star AND one of Enzo Maresca’s trusted lieutenants, while he again questions whether Arsenal have what it t...

John Obi Mikel is in Madrid to catch up with arguably the greatest left-back in the history of the game: Roberto Carlos. In this wide-ranging interview, the Brazilian legend opens up on what life was like as a Real Madrid ‘Galactico’. The highs, the lows, and the stories from inside one of the most famous dressing rooms of all-time. What was it like playing with Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane? What...

There’s only one thing on John Obi Mikel’s mind in this episode of Taking the Mikel: Nigeria’s failure to reach the World Cup Finals. Again. The former Super Eagles captain calls for every member of the NFF to stand down in the wake of their defeat to DR Congo, opens the door to joining a new-look board IF certain criteria is met and asks the question: why hasn’t any African nation used ‘voodoo pr...

‘Mr Chelsea’ himself John Terry returns to the Obi One Podcast. Only this time he joins his former teammate John Obi Mikel and Chris McHardy in front of a live audience at the Clapham Grand in London. JT and Mikel share a treasure trove of insights and anecdotes from Chelsea’s unforgiving dressing room. From standards to superstitions; Petr Cech’s unforgettable first training session, Tal Ben Haim...

John Obi Mikel and Chris McHardy are back with a new Taking the Mikel as they reflect on a weekend that saw the old Manchester City return in their 3-0 win over Liverpool. Obi Mikel goes to war with Pep Guardiola naysayers but not before waxing lyrical about a trio of Chelsea players he believes forms the best midfield three in world football. He also can’t resist another dig at Arsenal as they dr...

In this episode of the Obi One Podcast, John Obi Mikel sits down with a young manager destined for the very top: his former Chelsea team-mate Filipe Luís. In this exclusive, in-depth conversation, Filipe Luís discusses life as Flamengo boss, his managerial traits and why he treats everyone differently in the dressing room. He also outlines why Diego Simeone has had the biggest impact on his footba...

John Obi Mikel is back in the hotseat alongside Chris McHardy for the latest episode of Taking the Mikel. Chelsea’s 2-1 home defeat to Sunderland leads to uncomfortable truths as the issue of consistency rears its ugly head. John is forced into an Arsenal admission as they keep a sixth clean sheet in nine league games this season. Is this FINALLY their time? Liverpool’s demise also comes under the...