‘Huge miss’ – Tim Sherwood says one Chelsea star has been ‘disrespected’

Tim Sherwood believes Nicolas Jackson’s quality has been ‘disrespected’ as Chelsea continue to struggle in the absence of their first-choice striker.

Chelsea fell to third defeat in their last five Premier League games with a 1-0 loss against Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday.

Enzo Maresca’s side were, at one point in the season, considered potential title challengers to Liverpool but are now in danger of dropping out of the top four as their mid-season malaise threatens to extend into the business end of the season.

Of particular concern for the Blues is their lack of attacking potency, with Chelsea struggling to pose a threat in the final third without several of their first-choice attackers.

Jackson, in particular, has been a notable absence over the last eight games having scored nine league goals prior to picking up a thigh injury in early February.

The Senegalese international was often criticised for his lack of a clinical edge, with Jamie Carragher suggesting he was ‘not at the level’ required for a Chelsea striker.

Sherwood, himself, has been critical of Jackson in the past, suggesting he looked more like a ‘Soccer Aid celebrity’ after a wasteful display against Brentford earlier in the season.

But the former Tottenham manager has admitted that Jackson’s absence from the team has been a ‘huge miss’ and shows what a vital role he played in Maresca’s system.

‘I think Nicolas Jackson has definitely been disrespected, Sherwood told Metro. ‘I think he’s the focal point and a real presence up there.

‘He occupies the centre-halves and takes them back to create space for the likes of Cole Palmer to come into.

‘Palmer, in particular, profited off the space that Jackson created him. Enzo [Fernandez] as well. I think Enzo is a better No. 10 than a No.8 and when he gets forward he’s a real goal threat.

‘But they need someone who is going to lead the line and occupy the centre-halves and create that space for them.’

Sherwood continued: ‘He’s been a huge miss. He’s not a prolific goalscorer but he’s certainly a threat and they can’t replace him. They’ve got nobody like him to come in – they’ve tried it with [Christopher] Nkunku or playing with Pedro Neto as a false nine but it’s not worked.

‘Sometimes as a manager you have to find a different way. I just think they’re a bit to predictable on the ball, playing sideways and backwards, but perhaps there isn’t the options forward when the midfield players look up.

‘Jackson would normally be stretching the opposition in behind or they could play longer into his chest and have him hold the ball up. They haven’t had that in his absence so he’s been a huge miss.’

Jackson is expected to make a return after the upcoming international break and Maresca his certain that his return – along with that of several other key attackers – will soon have Chelsea back to their best.

‘It’s a huge difference if you think of the three players with most goals for us are Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke,’ he said post-match.

‘Not one of them was on the pitch today. For two of them, they have already been out a long time, so it is normal that offensively we struggle a little bit, even if – until today – we are the second or the third best attacking team in the league.

‘That means in any case we are doing well without those players but we could do better with the players that are injured at the moment.’

Tim Sherwood was speaking to Metro on behalf of Norsk Poker.

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