Chelsea fans erupted as Nicolas Jackson was substituted in their 2-1 loss to Wolves. The cheers indicated the fan’s dissatisfaction with the player’s performance. Fans certainly haven’t been very impressed with his performance after his big-money move from Villareal this summer.
However, despite the criticism, Pochettino has defended his striker. The Chelsea manager has defended Jackson repeatedly and has backed his potential.
Chelsea manager Pochettino defends Nicolas Jackson
Chelsea has not scored in 36 out of 57 good opportunities they had in the Premier League this season. This is more than any other team. However, Nicolas Jackson cannot be the only one who should be blamed. Even Raheem Sterling and other forwards have missed chances.
The Senegalese seemed to lose focus when Sterling set him up for a simple goal in the first 15 minutes. However, Pochettino still supported the 22-year-old.
“If we compare Nico to different strikers that arrive at his age to a new league, he is scoring goals when you look at his performances,” Pochettino said. “He is young, first PL season, the expectation is massive. we are Chelsea. Blame all together, not just one.”
Chelsea receive massive boost in the form of Nkunku
On a not-so-good day for the Blues, there was a positive moment when Christopher Nkunku played in the Premier League for the first time. He even scored near the end of the game.
Pochettino added: “I’m very pleased to see Nkunku score and it shows how important he can be for us. We cannot put too much pressure on him. He’s been out for a very long time and that is why he came on after 60 minutes – to help ease him in. He’s a quality player who can score goals and we are pleased he did that today. Although of course we are disappointed not to win the game.”
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