Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson aims a four-letter jibe at his critics who ‘don’t know football’ – and reveals Mauricio Pochettino’s Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne advice
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Nicolas Jackson has declared he doesn't care what his critics say about him, claiming they 'don't understand football'.
The 22-year-old scored a respectable eight goals in 19 appearances for the Blues – including a hat-trick against Tottenham – but has only found the net in five of his 16 Premier League appearances.
The Senegal international has admitted he needs to score more goals after signing from Villarreal for £32million to lead Chelsea's frontline.
He revealed that Mauricio Pochettino has been a big help and pointed out Mo Salah and Kevin De Bruyne's problems when they were at Stamford Bridge in their youth.
Salah made just 13 top-flight appearances while at the club, while De Bruyne managed a paltry three. They enjoyed great careers but Jose Mourinho called them 'kids who couldn't wait' for opportunities during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Nicolas Jackson panned his critics by claiming they 'don't understand football' and 'talk nonsense'
He admitted he 'should have scored more' but is still trying to adapt to La Liga football
Asked about his season, Jackson said: “It's okay, it's not what I was going for, even though it's my first season, so I'm happy, even though everyone is talking nonsense, I'm very happy. I don't care what people say.
'They are just people who know nothing about football. I'll just continue to play more games and score more goals for the team.
'I should have scored more because I missed a few chances. The Premier League is different from La Liga, where I come from. I try to adapt myself.
'It's not an excuse. I try to keep working harder and listening to people. Not the people who don't know football, I listen to the coach who knows more about football and try to improve myself.'
Pochettino has a strong track record when it comes to mentoring young players. He was instrumental in continuing Harry Kane's development at Tottenham and handed Dele Alli his debut for the club after signing for MK Dons.
An injury in pre-season to Christopher Nkunku – who only made the bench for the first time this weekend – and Armando Broja's fitness problems have put the pressure on Jackson's shoulders.
Jackson added: “He's been with a lot of young players (Poch), so he motivates me every day and tells me to go. He's seen people worse than me (in the past) and they're big players now.
'De Bruyne was here and Salah was here. They had a hard time here and are now big players. They didn't listen to people who don't know football, that's what he keeps saying.
Jackson talked about how Mauricio Pochettino motivated him and instilled belief in him
Pochettino has inspired him with the examples of Kevin De Bruyne and Mo Salah, whose careers have taken off after difficult spells at Chelsea
“He knows football; they don't know football, so I don't listen to them.'
Chelsea climbed to the top half of the Premier League on Saturday with a 2-0 win over Sheffield United.
Jackson and Cole Palmer were on the scoresheet as they returned to victory after away losses to Manchester United and Everton.
The striker said: 'We still believe in it. We have just played seventeen games. You can't just jump from one to a hundred; you have to go step by step.
'For me, all the players here are all talented and can be there if they are mentally good. We have to forget about social media and just focus on ourselves and try to win games for the team.
'The coach really helps us a lot. We believe in him and he believes in us because he has worked with young players and we are all young.
“That's no excuse, but we're still working on understanding each other on the field and winning games.”