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Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has called on the club’s fans to back striker Nicolas Jackson after he received a barrage of criticism during the Blues’ disappointing start to the season. Jackson had a confrontation with a supporter at Stamford Bridge during the 2-0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday, having been called out for not scoring in the game.
Pochettino described Jackson as “fragile” and someone who is “suffering”. He has scored just three goals in 11 matches since arriving at the club from Villarreal in the summer. The 22-year-old Senegalese forward has been backed by his head coach and urged fans to get behind Jackson ahead of their Carabao Cup tie with Blackburn on Wednesday evening.
“The fans can criticise,” Pochettino said. “They are entitled to criticise and express themselves but I think at the same time they are frustrated OK, we need to analyse the situation. Jackson is young, he arrived this season, circumstances didn’t help him perform at his best. What can we do? Throw him in the bin?
“It was 0-0 with Brentford and we were playing well. I think we needed maybe one, two or three nil in the first half. It was really frustrating for the fans, I understand that but the player needs help. He needs people to say, ‘Hey come on, keep going, we believe in you’.
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“He is our striker, our player, it is about supporting the player. I don’t say the fans are not allowed to criticise the players. I am the first in private when they are not good and the players can do that to me if I make tactics that do not work. Why not? But the most important thing is to understand the situation.”
Jackson was reportedly told to “wake up and score a goal” against Brentford after a first half in which Cole Palmer ran the show and set up several chances for his team-mates, but they failed to find the back of the net. Goals from Ethan Pinnock and Bryan Mbeuemo in the second half compounded Chelsea’s misery. They once again struggled to break down a low block.
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Jackson may see his worries grow with further competition at Chelsea, having already come out of the team to allow Palmer to play centrally against Arsenal.
Armando Broja has been given his opportunities to impress and Christopher Nkunku is on the path to recovery from his long-term injury and could make his Blues debut this month.
Having scored just 13 goals in 10 Premier League games, calls will continue for Chelsea to purchase another striker in January but Pochettino does appear content with Jackson and he has stressed the need for patience with the striker.
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