[ad_1]
Mark Twain is attributed to having said: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”
It is an adage that often rings true in modern football as players are – rightly or wrongly – judged by the numbers they return during a season. However, these stats can often be used selectively to reinforce a particular narrative.
Is Jackson as wasteful as is being suggested?
In the case of Nicolas Jackson, the Senegalese striker is often accused of being wasteful in front of goal. To back this notion up, Opta’s list of the most ‘big chances’ missed in the Premier League is used as Jackson is shown to be in fourth place having squandered 15 scoreable opportunities as of mid-March.
What this stat doesn’t tell you, however, is that Erling Haaland tops the list with 26 big chances missed.
This isn’t to say that Jackson hasn’t been guilty of poor finishing at times because he has. Crucially, Jackson said as much following a frenetic 2-2 draw against Brentford in early March.
It was a match that saw the 22-year-old chip in with a well-timed header 35 minutes in to give Chelsea the lead but it ultimately wasn’t enough for the Blues to win a heated London derby.
Part of the reason for returning to West London with only one point was due to Jackson’s lack of cutting edge on the day. Furthermore, his admission was telling as it showed that he is aware of the negative noise around him.
Jackson is poised to outscore Drogba
Again though, the question has to be asked, how fair is the narrative that has developed?
After all, the great Didier Drogba scored ten Premier League goals in his first season for Chelsea while Jackson has netted nine in his debut season. The difference here is that there are still ten games to play in the 2023/2024 season and if Jackson continues on this positive trajectory, he will comfortably surpass Drogba’s record.
It’s not all about goals though when measuring Jackson’s contribution given that the striker has also registered three assists in the current campaign – one of them coming against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium when he skillfully played in Raheem Sterling for the game’s opening goal.
Such selfless endeavors way from goal is further evidence that Jackson’s work rate has significantly increased. Consequently, there was a noticeable improvement in his work ethic following a live telling off on Sky Sports by a teammate.
Jackson heeds direct advice from influential Cole Palmer
The Senegalese striker was famously called out over how hard he applied himself in training by Cole Palmer during a live interview after a hat-trick against Spurs in November. Palmer’s words were:
“He just needs to keep his head down and work harder in training and he will get many more hat-tricks.”
While it was a message that Jackson immediately took on board and has been the catalyst for an increasingly impressive debut season at Stamford Bridge, it is also worth noting how much respect 21-year-old Palmer has earned in the dressing room. At least, to publicly demand his teammates improve despite being younger than them is a rarity.
These liberties are only afforded to generational talents and it is certainly one of the reasons why Gareth Southgate is considering building his Euro 2024 team around Palmer as England head into the European Championships as favourites.
Chelsea fans who feel that a Three Lions side featuring Palmer can go all the way in Germany this summer can access these Euros betting offers from bookmakers such as Betfred, bet365, and Copybet. As much as £50 in free bets can be claimed when signing up which can be used on England in the outright market at odds of 7/2.
While this summer might be a historic occasion for Palmer and England, it will also provide Jackson with the time to look back on his first season with Chelsea.
So far, so good
It may have started underwhelmingly for the Senegalese striker in England but it is set to end with Jackson being spoken about as one of the bargains of the 2023 summer.
Indeed, contrary to popular belief, the 22-year-old now has the numbers to show that he is bettering the early records of some of Chelsea’s greatest-ever players.
If you would like to feature on Talk Chelsea click here.
[ad_2]
Source link
