'He's getting better': Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink impressed by Chelsea star who 'struggled at times' last season
It was a turbulent season last year for so many individuals at Stamford Bridge, but we’re seeing a number of Chelsea stars really kick on this term.
In fairness, Enzo Maresca deserves big credit for arriving as the Chelsea manager in the summer and quickly getting a tune out of the players.
There’s a lot of talent when you look across the Blues squad, especially in the forward positions, but everything has been chaotic at the club in recent years.
Paul Scholes is super impressed by Maresca’s impact at Chelsea, suggesting that a lot of people may have misjudged him.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink highlights Nicolas Jackson improvement at Chelsea
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has singled out Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson for making big improvements in his game this season.
Reflecting at who the top strikers are in the Premier League, Hasselbaink told the BBC’s Planet Premier League podcast: “You have [Erling] Haaland and there’s [Alexander] Isak, who is having a difficult time at the moment but I really rate him, [Ollie] Watkins and then I would say you have Jackson. Those four are really the top strikers.
“Jackson is young, he’s 23, and he has not played Champions League football yet. Last year, he struggled at times with his chances, but he’s getting better.
“There’s still so much that he can improve at, especially with his back to the goal, with his duels and where he can just make it a little bit more simpler for himself. When crosses come in the box, his movement in the box can be better by coming across centre-halves instead of just waiting at the second post.
“But if he keeps on improving then he is going to be worth a lot of money and this year he’s scoring important goals. That is what he didn’t do as much last year. So he is improving. There’s a lot of growth in his game still.”
Ben Foster doesn’t think Chelsea’s Jackson gets enough credit, and we tend to agree with that.
The 23-year-old frontman is keeping Christopher Nkunku out of the Blues starting line-up with some fantastic all-round performances.
Is Nicolas Jackson one of the best centre-forwards in the Premier League?
Without doubt, Jackson’s one of the most in-form attackers in the Premier League division right now.
The Senegal international scored 17 goals in 44 games across all competitions during his debut season as a Chelsea player last year. While it was a decent return for his first year in English football, he was guilty of missing some huge chances in front of goal and struggling to knit play together.
Pat Nevin has noticed Jackson getting better at Chelsea, both in terms of his finishing and general link-up play.
Here is a look at the Premier League’s top scorers so far this season, which includes the Blues striker:
| Name | Club | Goals |
| Erling Haaland | Manchester City | 11 |
| Bryan Mbeumo | Brentford | 8 |
| Cole Palmer | Chelsea | 7 |
| Chris Wood | Nottingham Forest | 7 |
| Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 6 |
| Nicolas Jackson | Chelsea | 6 |
| Danny Welbeck | Brighton | 6 |
If Jackson continues on this upwards trajectory, the young forward can grow into a top-class striker because he’s got all the tools in his game.
from Latest Chelsea News and Updates - The Chelsea Chronicle https://ift.tt/1bHk8Np
Post a Comment