"Chelsea’s game is not finding him in the right areas" - Gus Poyet suggests Mauricio Pochettino is misusing summer signing

AFC Bournemouth v Chelsea FC - Premier League
"Chelsea’s game is not finding him in the right areas" - Gus Poyet suggests Mauricio Pochettino is misusing summer signing

Following Chelsea's stumbling start to the season, former Blues midfielder Gus Poyet has put a spotlight on striker Nicolas Jackson. He has asserted that the club's £32 million summer signing is being misused under the tutelage of manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Poyet finds it "incredible" that Jackson, a striker by trade, has amassed an alarming tally of five yellow cards in just six league outings. This predicament has led to Jackson getting a suspension for their next game against Fulham on October 2.

Poyet also raised larger questions about Chelsea's tactical approach with Pochettino at the helm.

Traditionally, strikers, especially those operating in the attacking third, are not notorious for accumulating cautions. Their primary duty is to score goals, not to dive into tackles that might attract the scrutiny of match officials.

Poyet highlighted the dilemma, first pointing out that the team's current playstyle is not complementing Jackson's strengths. He said to bitcoincasinos.com (via GOAL):

“Jackson is a player that likes to run in behind, but at this current moment, Chelsea’s game is not finding him in the right areas. When a striker isn’t scoring for me, I like to think about playing in the right way for him to score. He needs to be supported and delivered passes in order to perform."

Poyet continued, revealing how frustrated the new Blues signing was:

"Sometimes it’s down to the player – if we put in 50 crosses for him and he misses three 1v1s – but sometimes it’s down to the functionality of the team. I think with Jackson it’s a little bit of both, and he’s clearly frustrated because he’s already picked up five yellow cards in six games, which is incredible for a striker.”

There has been some clamor to sign another striker in the forthcoming January transfer window. With Chelsea struggling for form and Jackson scoring just once in six games, rumors have claimed that they might be interested in another striker. Poyet, however, has advocated caution:

“I think it’s easy to say Chelsea should buy a new striker because things are not working – both performances and results. But for me as a coach, I would make that kind of decision in November. If they really know now that they already need a striker in January, then they’ve got a big problem. It’s better to wait rather than addressing it now.”

Chelsea have overall scored just five goals in six Premier League games this season.


Chelsea could explore a swap deal for former striker Tammy Abraham to seal Premier League return

According to Calciomercatoweb (via Express), a proposition has surfaced to the Stamford Bridge hierarchy, as they could snag Tammy Abraham from Roma on a swap deal. This could see Blues outcast Romelu Lukaku end his Stamford Bridge career by making his loan move to Roma permanent.

Languishing in the bottom half of the league table, the west London side have managed only a single win in their first six games. Pochettino's men have scored a meager five goals - three of which came against the winless Luton Town. Their last three encounters against Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, and Aston Villa have been goalless affairs, showing the urgency for a solution.

Chelsea reportedly aims to secure Brentford striker Ivan Toney with a £60 million bid come January. However, the prospect of re-signing Abraham, who already has experience with the system and fan base, could present a less costly and potentially less risky alternative.

The English striker scored 30 goals and provided 12 assists in 82 senior games during his stint at Stamford Bridge.

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