Former Chelsea midfielder, John Mikel Obi has denied calling Nicolas Jackson a “bad player.”
This followed the Senegal international’s response telling Mikel Obi to “shut up” in a social media post.
Mikel had criticised Jackson after Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester City last month. The former Nigeria captain remarked, “We played okay, not perfectly, but okay. We created chances but didn’t take them. Jackson’s finishing is a prime example. Even though he was offside, you could see how he dribbled past one, two, three players and the way he struck the ball!”
He continued, “You need a striker who knows how to put the ball in the back of the net, and that’s what we’re lacking. I know I talk a lot about him, and it might sound like I’m being disrespectful, but I’m not. At Chelsea, we need a top striker who can score goals—a bit like Haaland, who has scored 91 goals for City. That’s absolutely unbelievable.”
Jackson hit back by telling Mikel to “shut up” after scoring in Chelsea’s 7-2 rout of Southampton the following week.
Mikel Obi has now defended himself, clarifying that he had no ill intentions towards Nicolas Jackson.
“I’ve always been clear about Nicolas Jackson. He is a good player; I’ve never said otherwise,” the former Super Eagles captain told beIN Sports.
“My only criticism is that his finishing needs improvement. He is in the right place at the right time and contributes to the team. My comments come from a place of constructive criticism, not negativity. Unfortunately, he doesn’t see it that way, which is why he told me to shut up after scoring.”
