By Monsurah Olatunji
Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson is once again facing sharp criticism from former midfielder John Obi Mikel for his lack of decisiveness in front of goal following Chelsea’s loss to Manchester City.
The Senegalese forward missed a golden opportunity to score, opting to pass rather than take the shot, which frustrated Mikel.
Despite assisting Noni Madueke’s early opener, Jackson continues to be compared unfavourably to past Chelsea icons, with Mikel emphasizing the need for a clinical finisher like Didier Drogba to lead the line.
Speaking on The Obi One Podcast, the former Chelsea captain questioned whether Jackson possesses the quality needed to elevate Chelsea back to their former glory days.
“Your job is to score goals. You’re a striker; just put your foot through it. If you miss, it’s fine, but at least try,” Mikel stated.
“In my time, when we called upon Didier, he was there to put the ball in the back of the net. We don’t have that now. We need somebody who can score goals to get us there. Nicolas Jackson is not that striker.”
Mikel also suggested that Chelsea should target more reliable forwards like Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres, who he believes could provide the clinical finishing the team desperately needs.
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.
