Joe Cole has given some advice to Chelsea on what to do next with Nicolas Jackson, after the 22-year-old striker squandered a glut of chances during the Blues’ FA Cup semi-final defeat against Man City at Wembley on Saturday.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side controlled large spells of the closely-fought match and created a host of glorious opportunities in front of goal, before losing 1-0 in the wake of Bernardo Silva’s late strike for City.
Jackson was the primary culprit for fluffing his lines and received huge criticism from Chelsea fans both during and after the match – and was given just a 4/10 in Mail Sport’s post-match player ratings.
He tentatively wasted a great one-on-one opportunity towards the end of the first half, opting to take the ball around the goalkeeper rather than shooting.
In the second half, the striker missed two big chances in a matter of minutes, failing to convert another clear sight at goal before firing a header from point-blank range at Stefan Ortega.
Cole has advised Chelsea to stick by the young forward for now, urging he does a lot ‘very, very well’ in attack.
‘If I was working with him as a centre forward, a lot of it is building confidence,’ the TNT Sports pundit said. ‘We’ve seen strikers at 22 or 23 years old not have a great goal record and then something clicks and then they go on – but it’s down to the lad and his mindset.
‘Jackson does a lot of things on the pitch very, very well. He can be a handful, he’s got great feet, he can run the channel, he’s a willing worker – and he’s a young striker so he’s got time on his side.’
The ex-England international feels Chelsea and Jackson would benefit from another striker coming in and claims it’s a position the club will ‘definitely look to strengthen’ during the summer transfer window.
He believes that another forward partnering Jackson – whether a summer signing or Christopher Nkunku upon his full return from injury – would help take the burden of goal-scoring away from the 22-year-old and help build his confidence.
‘I don’t know him personally – but can he deliver in the big moments? It’s about moments as a centre forward. He might need somebody to come in and push him a little bit and share the responsibility as a No 9.
‘Nkunku can play in a number of positions, not just No 9, but Chelsea will definitely strengthen in that area. They have to believe in the lad, they bought him as a young player and need to give him time to be nurtured.
‘We’ve seen it so many times when players kick on. He’s one of those centre forwards I’d love to work with because it’s more about his mind than his technique. He needs to relax in front of goal. I hope he can get to where he needs to go.’
Jackson was heavily criticised by pundits and fans in the wake of Chelsea’s 6-0 thrashing of Everton last Monday, after he and team-mate Noni Madueke were involved in a bizarre on-pitch row over who should take a penalty for the Blues.
Cole Palmer, who is Chelsea’s top scorer this season and designated penalty taker at the club, converted the spot-kick after taking the ball off both Jackson and Madueke, who were slammed for the childish antics during and after the match.
Jackson will hope to have a positive end to the Premier League season, with a trip to Emirates to face league leaders Arsenal up next on Tuesday night.
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