“He needs help” — John Obi Mikel admits Chelsea misses Nicolas Jackson

By Monsurah Olatunji

Mikel Obi has voiced his concerns about Chelsea’s ongoing struggles, expressing that the team is currently missing the influence of key players, especially Nicolas Jackson, during a critical period in the season.

The former Chelsea midfielder, who spent 11 years at the club, made it clear that the Blues’ dip in form and disappointing performances have left him frustrated.

Chelsea had made a promising start under new manager Enzo Maresca and were considered title contenders until their form plummeted in December.

Mikel, who won numerous titles with Chelsea, including the 2012 Champions League and two Premier League titles, criticized the club’s current management and transfer strategy, particularly their inability to reinforce the squad with the right players.

“Nicolas Jackson is a fantastic guy, a fantastic striker, he needs help,” Mikel said on his The Obi One Podcast.

“It’s not just his form, not just his goal-scoring — what happens when he gets injured? And we’ve seen it now, and we’ve come into the crucial part of the season where we need to win games, and we need to win games.”

Mikel took a direct shot at Chelsea’s sporting director, Paul Winstanley, and owner Todd Boehly, urging them to take action. “Paul Winstanley, I know you are watching, you’re listening, please, and please, you and Todd Boehly, we need a striker.”

The Nigerian also reiterated the need for stronger leadership on the pitch, adding, “They’re not bad players, but they need to do more. They need leaders. They need somebody who’s going to hold them by the fing neck and say, ‘Listen, wake the f up, mate.'”

Reflecting on his own time at the club, Mikel emphasized how leadership was key to Chelsea’s success.

“When you’re not doing things right, JT (John Terry) calls you in, goes to maybe meet you in the gym, maybe meet you by the pool area, and says, ‘Listen, what’s happening? You need to do more. The club needs you to do more because we win games here.'”

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.

See Full Bio