No wonder Nicolas Jackson was so desperate for that penalty against Everton.
Because if he ends up like this in open play, he’ll need all the help he can get.
That may be harsh on the Chelsea striker, but a week that started embarrassingly for Jackson plummeted to greater depths at Wembley on Saturday after a display of debauchery that contributed in no small part to his side’s place in the FA Cup. missed the final.
These are not a few days that Jackson will look back on with great pride. He shouldn’t be doing that anyway.
His role in Monday’s ridiculous debacle at Stamford Bridge, in which the Ivorian tried to wrestle the ball away from team-mates Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke after Chelsea had been awarded a penalty, caused an unnecessary storm on a night when his team had won 6 won. 0.
Nicolas Jackson had an afternoon to forget as Chelsea lost to Man City in the FA Cup semi-final
The Senegalese international turned down several chances for the Blues at Wembley Stadium
On Monday evening, Jackson argued with teammates over a penalty decision against Everton
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And now this: a rather excruciating display for the goal of putting an end to his team’s trophy ambitions.
Jackson was having one of those days where all you want is for the ground to open up and swallow you.
Although based on this evidence he probably would have missed the gap.
Who’s to say whether Chelsea would have booked a return to the national stadium to face Manchester United or Coventry in next month’s final if Jackson had taken just one of the three guild opportunities his colleagues put in front of him.
Of course, if he had done that, they would have had a much better chance.
The opportunities when playing Manchester City are few at best. When they present themselves, grab them with a vice, especially if you made fun of your team a few days earlier.
Here, with a chance at glory on the line, Jackson was wasteful. That’s being nice.
There is so much to admire about his playing. The power, the pace: it’s a dangerous brew.
John Stones had no answer to a striking attack down the left in the first half. It reminded us of what Jackson is capable of.
Jackson’s speed and strength were a problem for the City defense during Saturday’s game
However, his composure in front of goal against the Treble winners left a lot to be desired
But attackers score goals. The best are ruthless and cold-blooded. Here, Jackson showed the calmness of a child on Christmas morning.
Ask Chelsea fans: it has become a common story of their season.
Indeed, Jackson was the butt of the joke on social media in the aftermath of Saturday’s crushing loss.
With the game now over against a City team far from their brilliant best, Jackson was left on his knees.
Chelsea’s hopes of a second domestic final of the season went up in smoke due to Jackson’s folly.
“He had the game in the palm of his hand and he didn’t deliver,” Jermaine Jenas described.
It was a scathing assessment of Jackson’s contribution from the former England international, but not one that was overstated.
Big players deliver results on the big occasion. Where is Jackson?
Behind the scenes, those close to Jackson have struggled to shrug off his role in Monday’s penalty debacle, amid feelings that his urgency in ignoring team instructions has seen Cole Palmer nominated as first-choice penalty taker , was due to an adrenaline rush. and his desire to add to his personal tally after scoring earlier in the evening.
Jackson’s role in the scruffy scenes was described as a reflection of his growing personality as he looks to achieve his goal of scoring 20 goals this season.
Jackson argued with Noni Madueke (L) that he should take the penalty against the Toffees
Finally, penalty taker Cole Palmer stepped up and fired the ball into the net
It was also pointed out that strikers must be self-centered and that Jackson is developing that selfish streak.
There is probably some truth in these claims. But the goodwill, especially from Chelsea fans, is waning.
His head coach Mauricio Pochettino was not too kind about his performance on Monday evening. Jackson did nothing here to make things right with his manager.
If Chelsea have their way, they will upgrade Jackson’s position before the start of next season.
That’s not to say his career with the Blues will necessarily fail if Chelsea secures the new No.9 they so desperately want.
The raw materials are there. Jackson needs to be molded – and at 22, time is on his side.
Mauricio Pochettino will have been less impressed by Jackson’s performance
But teams the size of Chelsea can ill-afford their main source of goals, which is on-the-job learning. Unfortunately, that’s the position Jackson finds himself in.
There have been moments this season where Jackson has made a tangible impact playing out wide.
Yet those positive contributions have been all too inconsistent, especially for a team with Chelsea’s ambitions.
But if Chelsea’s American owners want to make good on their promises to return the club to the top tier of domestic and European football, Jackson seems unlikely to be the man to fire them there.