“He has a lot to give” - Gary Neville shares his unpopular opinion on Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson

Football pundit Gary Neville voiced his support for under-fire Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson. The Blues forward has come under criticism from sections of fans for missing opportunities in front of goal.

However, Neville has added his opinion on the matter to give a new context. He said (while talking on The Gary Neville podcast via Football.London):

"I actually like Nicolas Jackson. That might be an unpopular opinion on here, but I like him. I think he has a lot to give. He's a young player. I think he cost...not stupid money but it's his first full season in the Premier League, he's scored quite a few goals and he keeps going."

He added:

"There's a lot to be said about that. He might not be striker number 1 but if he was your striker number two or number three in a squad of 18 to 20 players, you'd say 'I'll take that'."

Chelsea lost 0-1 to Manchester City in the semifinal of the FA Cup, a game where Jackson failed to score from several important positions. Analyzing the team's game overall, Neville added:

"So for me, the performance Chelsea put in against Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final that was a hell of a performance. Good, really good. And if they had a forward who could finish more consistently than Nicolas Jackson then they would have won the game."

He concluded:

"I think that's what Chelsea's owners should be looking at. Performance standards are not consistent and they're awful when they're awful - but actually their good looks quite exciting."

Jackson has missed 21 big chances in the Premier League, ranking third on the table.

---

Mauricio Pochettino blames VAR for ruining English football

Following Chelsea's 0-1 loss to Man City, the Blues were thrashed 0-5 at the Emirates by Arsenal. Chelsea came out against Aston Villa hoping to restore some pride but found themselves 0-2 down at half-time. An improved Chelsea clawed their way back into the game at Villa Park on April 27, to level the scores at 2-2 with a few minutes still to go.

Chelsea then appeared to have found the winner via Axel Disasi's head but the goal was later overturned as the referees deemed that Blues defender Benoit Badiashille had committed a foul in the build-up.

An upset Mauricio Pochettino blamed VAR for ruining English football in the post-match presser, saying (via TNT Sports):

"Me and you and everyone in the stadium watching the game, they didn't see a foul on the pitch and then VAR changed the decision of the referee. For me that was a normal challenge. The decision was there and that's it."

He added:

"For me, it damaged a little bit the Premier League and English [football]. If we want to be the best league in the world it should be protecting the spectacle and the decision ... [it] damaged myself, damaged my team, my players, the fans."

Chelsea are currently ninth in the points table with 48 points after 33 games. They will face Tottenham Hotspur next on May 2.