Former Super Eagles skipper John Obi Mikel believes Chelsea can turn their poor season into a successful one by winning the Emirates FA Cup and securing qualification for the UEFA Champions League, Footynaija.com reports.
The Blues have endured a frustrating campaign this term, with a mixture of power tussle, inconsistent performances and poor results seeing the higher-ups at Stamford Bridge cut ties with both Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenoir in quick succession.
Despite their woes this season, Chelsea have a shot at silverware after recently booking their place in the FA Cup final. Also, a strong end to the season could well put them back in the conversation for a place in the top five.
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For Mikel, if his former employers can manage to win the FA Cup and secure Champions League qualification, they’ll have a solid foundation to build on ahead of next season.
“Winning the FA Cup and not qualifying for the Champions League is not success, but having both is success,” he said on the Obi One Podcast.
“Getting both is a pass, and we can build on that next season. Because you’ll attract big players, those who want to win because they want to play in the Champions League.
“Then we go on to get a manager that can attract those players, that makes players want to play for him. If Guardiola picks up a phone and calls a player, they run to Manchester, because they’ll win titles and become better players. That’s what a football club is.
“That’s who we were, 10, 15 years ago. Roman called players and they answered. I answered when I could’ve been at Old Trafford. I did a U-turn, mate.”
While achieving both objectives is not entirely impossible, it definitely could be considered a tall order, especially with the way Chelsea have struggled to find a consistent run of form since the turn of the year.
