“He’s improving in that area now” “Especially his PACE” – Michael Ballack Urges Enzo Maresca to start using £32m man who has improved alot this season
Michael Ballack, a former player for Chelsea, has lauded Nicolas Jackson and said the striker is becoming a much better player this year.
Jackson signed a £32 million agreement to join Chelsea from Spanish team Villarreal in the summer of 2023, and he made an impact in his first season.
The 23-year-old was rewarded for his efforts with a two-year contract extension, keeping him with the team until 2033, after scoring 17 goals in all competitions, 14 of which came in the Premier League.
Michael Ballack believes Jackson is really improving
A lot was made of Chelsea’s failure to sign a striker in the summer, but Jackson’s start to the season, coupled with the goal scoring form of Christopher Nkunku shows that may not have been a bad thing.
The Senegal international, who scored his first goal for the national team during the break has four goals and three assists in seven games this season.
Jackson has been criticised for his finishing and has missed a number of chances during his time in England, but there have been signs this season he’s improving in that area, as shown with his two goals in the win against West ham.
Michael Ballack, who also thinks Joao Felix is going to prove a lot of people wrong believes Jackson has really improved as a player.
“You look up front at Jackson, the amount of chances he missed, the amount of great positions he got into with his staggering pace, it is staggering his pace, but then blew it time and time again,” he told BBC Sport.
“He’s getting better at that now. He’s running at you in more intelligent areas.
“If you watch Liverpool or Chelsea over the years and you’ve watched some centre-forwards, it’s not always just about getting the ball up to them for a tap-in.