Former Chelsea midfielder, John Mikel Obi has doubled down on his criticism of the club’s forward, Nicolas Jackson, urging the Senegalese striker to be more clinical in front of goal.
Mikel’s comments came after Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in their opening Premier League fixture, where Jackson missed two clear scoring opportunities.
The former Nigerian international highlighted the need for better finishing, despite acknowledging Jackson’s overall talent.
In response, Jackson, after scoring against Wolves in August, fired back at Mikel with a heated Instagram post, saying: “Shut your mouth, don’t talk s***, we are killing ourselves for Africa.”
However, Mikel, speaking on beIN Sports, stood by his remarks, insisting they were intended to be constructive.
Former Chelsea Player, John Obi Mikel. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
“I’ve always said Jackson is a good player,” Mikel reiterated.
“The only issue is his finishing, which needs to improve. He’s in the right positions, but his composure in front of goal has to be better.”
When asked by fellow pundit Ruud Gullit whether Jackson agrees with the critique, Mikel added:
“I don’t think he agrees, but I believe everyone can see where I’m coming from. It’s not coming from a bad place; it’s constructive criticism.”
Gullit replied, “As long as he knows that himself,” to which Mikel responded, “But he doesn’t, and that’s why when he scored, he told me to shut up!”
