Demba Ba demands Nicolas Jackson to make his presence felt at Chelsea
Former Chelsea striker Demba Ba tells summer signing Nicolas Jackson to “show some balls” and make his presence count in a Blue jersey during his time here.
A few weeks ago, Chelsea signed Jackson from Villarreal for a deal worth around €37m. The Senegal international has been impressive in the pre-season games the Blues have played so far.
The 22-year-old scored two goals and assisted three in the four pre-season games during the USA tour (Sofascore). Three of the four games were against Premier League clubs in the Summer Series.
Here’s what Ba said about Jackson and what he can do to succeed at Chelsea (h/t London World, via Metro):
“I think there’s one thing that you have to do on top of everything when you’re at a club, like Chelsea, especially at night.
“You need to ask yourself some questions, how can I say this without being rude. With respect, you know, you need balls.
“I don’t know how to say this properly in English. But you’re the striker. You know, you have the capability. You have to be courageous, you have to come in and say I am here.”
As of now, Jackson is the only senior number nine in the Chelsea squad. Some forwards can play in that position but the Senegal youngster is a natural.
After an impressive first season playing senior level football for Villarreal where he scored 13 goals and assisted five in 38 appearances in all competitions, this is a big step up for the 22-year-old.
To give ourselves some context, Chelsea scored only 38 goals from 38 league games last season. Two of the three relegated teams scored way more than the Blues in that many games – Leicester City and Leeds United.
So, Mauricio Pochettino has a task on his hand to increase the goal scoring frequency of this team. As a number nine, Jackson should put his hand up and say that he can score 20+ goals per season.
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There are plenty of good creative players in the team. So, the 22-year-old would not be short on chances to put the ball into the back of the net. It is up to him to make the right runs and finish off the moves.