Tim Sherwood believes Nicolas Jackson’s quality has been ‘disrespected’ as Chelsea proceed to struggle within the absence of their first-choice striker.
Chelsea fell to 3rd defeat of their last five Premier League games with a 1-0 loss against Arsenal on the Emirates on Sunday.
Enzo Maresca’s side were, at one point within the season, considered potential title challengers to Liverpool but are actually at risk of dropping out of the highest 4 as their mid-season malaise threatens to increase into the business end of the season.
Of particular concern for the Blues is their lack of attacking potency, with Chelsea struggling to pose a threat in the ultimate third without several of their first-choice attackers.
Jackson, specifically, has been a notable absence over the past eight games having scored nine league goals prior to picking up a thigh injury in early February.
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The Senegalese international was often criticised for his lack of a clinical edge, with Jamie Carragher suggesting he was ‘not at the extent’ required for a Chelsea striker.
Sherwood, himself, has been critical of Jackson previously, suggesting he looked more like a ‘Soccer Aid celebrity’ after a wasteful display against Brentford earlier within the season.
But the previous Tottenham manager has admitted that Jackson’s absence from the team has been a ‘huge miss’ and shows what a significant role he played in Maresca’s system.
‘I believe Nicolas Jackson has definitely been disrespected, Sherwood told Metro. ‘I believe he’s the point of interest and an actual presence up there.
‘He occupies the centre-halves and takes them back to create space for the likes of Cole Palmer to come back into.
‘Palmer, specifically, profited off the space that Jackson created him. Enzo [Fernandez] as well. I believe Enzo is a greater No. 10 than a No.8 and when he gets forward he’s an actual goal threat.
‘But they need someone who’s going to steer the road and occupy the centre-halves and create that space for them.’
Sherwood continued: ‘He’s been an enormous miss. He’s not a prolific goalscorer but he’s actually a threat and so they can’t replace him. They’ve got no one like him to are available – they’ve tried it with [Christopher] Nkunku or twiddling with Pedro Neto as a false nine but it surely’s not worked.
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‘Sometimes as a manager you will have to search out a special way. I just think they’re a bit to predictable on the ball, playing sideways and backwards, but perhaps there isn’t the choices forward when the midfield players look up.
‘Jackson would normally be stretching the opposition in behind or they may play longer into his chest and have him hold the ball up. They haven’t had that in his absence so he’s been an enormous miss.’
Jackson is predicted to make a return after the upcoming international break and Maresca his certain that his return – together with that of several other key attackers – will soon have Chelsea back to their best.
‘It’s an enormous difference if you happen to consider the three players with most goals for us are Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke,’ he said post-match.
‘Not one in all them was on the pitch today. For 2 of them, they’ve already been out an extended time, so it’s normal that offensively we struggle a bit bit, even when – until today – we’re the second or the third best attacking team within the league.
‘Which means in any case we’re doing well without those players but we could do higher with the players which are injured for the time being.’
Tim Sherwood was chatting with Metro on behalf of Norsk Poker.
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