John Mikel Obi admits Nicolas Jackson’s improvement after earlier criticism

By: Monsurah Olatunji

Former Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi has praised Nicolas Jackson’s recent performances, acknowledging that the striker has silenced his critics, including himself, with an impressive run of form this season.

Jackson, 22, has scored eight goals and provided three assists in the Premier League so far this term.

While his side, managed by Enzo Maresca, continued their strong form with a 4-3 win in North London on Sunday, Jackson was unable to find the back of the net in the victory.

Despite this, Mikel, speaking as a pundit after the match, expressed his satisfaction with Jackson’s progress and his ability to prove his earlier critiques wrong.

The Nigerian legend, who enjoyed a distinguished career with Chelsea, winning the Premier League, Champions League, and Europa League, had previously questioned Jackson’s finishing abilities.

However, Mikel now admits that the Senegalese forward has taken his criticism to heart and improved significantly.

“I know I talk so much about him that sometimes it sounds like I disrespect him,” Mikel explained. “I don’t disrespect him. I just think that, at Chelsea Football Club, we need a top striker who can get us goals.”

Jackson’s development has been notable, especially in terms of his improved composure in front of goal. Mikel has recognized this, conceding that Jackson’s recent performances, including his clinical finishing, have validated his progress.

“He has proved me wrong,” Mikel said via Reuters. “He’s playing really well, and it’s just the finishing and the fact that he listened to what I said.”

He continued, “I’m happy he took what I said on board. When he made that statement, I said, ‘Listen, as long as he keeps scoring and we keep winning games, I’ll keep my mouth shut.’ And that’s exactly what he’s done.”

Mikel emphasized his right to offer his opinion, but acknowledged the noticeable shift in Jackson’s play.

“Before I made that statement, he wasn’t the Jackson that we see now. He was getting chances but wasn’t putting them away like he is doing now. Look at the numbers. He’s scored eight goals this season. He’s playing really well.”

With Jackson now finding his stride, Chelsea fans and pundits alike are eager to see how the young striker continues to evolve.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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