Jason Cundy annoyed by how £32m Chelsea star is playing right now

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Jason Cundy has vented his frustration towards Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson after what he’s seen from him.

Nicolas Jackson, who joined Chelsea for £32millon (Evening Standard) in the summer from Villarreal, does have a lot of work to do to convince everyone of his ability.

The 22-year-old’s scored three goals in his opening 11 Blues appearances, which he’s combined with some positive all-round performances. In particular, the Senegal international works extremely hard and gets about the pitch.

Unfortunately, he’s judged on the chances in front of goal he misses.

Chelsea frontman gets stick

TalkSPORT pundit Jason Cundy is growing really annoyed by Jackson’s positioning and wants him replaced in the XI.

“Jackson, do your work between the goalposts. We need a striker. He’s not a number one No 9,” Cundy told talkSPORT.

We agree it would be great to see Jackson operate the penalty box a bit more often. In fairness, he’s still getting a lot of goalscoring opportunities, albeit the finishing is lacking this season.

The Premier League’s website data says that Jackson has missed seven big chances so far in the league during the 2023/24 campaign. Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (11) and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins (10) are the only players in the division to miss more.

Nicolas Jackson improvement

There’s plenty to like about Jackson’s game on the eye test, with his acceleration and stamina very impressive.

We don’t want to see players discouraged from working tirelessly off the ball and lending an extra hand, but we can see why people want their No 9 kept fresh for when crosses fly into the box.

Chelsea have the wingers and creative players to create chance, so this team just needs a more potent finisher leading the line.

Speaking via talkSPORT recently, Tony Cascarino suggested Chelsea are carrying Jackson right now and he’s a bit like Tottenham’s Richarlison.

We still think he can help this group moving forward, but at this moment in time the side is screaming out for a recognised finisher and safe pair of hands.