Toastertoes Jackson.
Nicholas Jackson
- Thread starter Amadaeus
- Start date
He's very raw, but there's a good player in there. This is only his second season of top flight football after a breakthrough season at Villarreal last season.
His movement, pace and powerful running are an asset. He's got to learn to compose himself better in the final 3rd.
13 goals and 5 assists has been a decent return during a tough season for Chelsea. He's still only 22.
His movement, pace and powerful running are an asset. He's got to learn to compose himself better in the final 3rd.
13 goals and 5 assists has been a decent return during a tough season for Chelsea. He's still only 22.
DCL had 2 good seasons and went back to scoring less than 10 goals a season. That's his level, Watkins was hitting 15 to 20 goals quute regularly before Emery went anywhere near him.
Jackson and Nunez will likely never be prolific scorers, they are too erratic and are not natural finishers, they are strikers because of their physical attributes more than their technical ones.
I'm sure he scored half of them goals in a couple of games .
He's a donkey albeit a very young one. The type of striker that you'd expect to miss when it matters. You can't change that through coaching.
Who has been worse, him or Rasmus? Ignore the vast difference in cost, just their performances.
Rasmus hasn’t even been that bad, the team is just bad and hasn’t created for him. If we created chances for him everybody will be hailing him as great signing.
I said earlier that i haven’t seen Hojlund run a defender ragged in the way Jackson did to Stones, I know people say we don’t create chances for Hojlund but he could still contribute by bullying defenders and making their life difficult. I’ve seen small CBs out jump him. I don’t think defenders are worried about having to defend against him, Jackson will give any defender a difficult time because if his tenacity and pace.
And Jackson is a good dribbler too
Is he the new Morata
It’s hilarious how bad he is in front of goal at times. Doesn’t even seem like that long ago they had Drogba up top, now this.
Its because rather he can't stay fit to save his life. Nothing to do with levels
because he used to miss bucket loads! Even Ian Wright famously heavily critiized his finishing approach EVEN witg those nunbers.
He should have been firing 25 plus a season like he is doing this year thanks to improving his finishing habits via good coaching.
The natutal finisher thing is overrated when it comes to being prolific. One doesn't have to be a natural finisher to be prolific. One instead has to have good technique and habits whilst finishing. Especially if the said player is regularly on the end of good chances like Nunez is. Because a look at his career shows his numbers fluctuate wildly as a result of that one weakness, which is curable.
Salah, Hardy, Henry and CR7 are 4 players who come to mind who were never natural finishers initially. Yet were often in great positions to score due to their excellent work rate and other worldly off the ball runs. But through training and dedication all 4 improved their finishing habits till they were (at different levels ) world class at putting away chances.
I personally see that possibility in Nunez especially. Jackson to a lesser extent. Time will tell what will transpire
17 goals and 6 assists in all competitions now. 14 PL goals. It's been a decent debut season. Finishing strong.
His pace, powerful running and movement off the ball make him a real handful.
When you look at some of the fees Chelsea have paid for players, €35 million was good value.
His pace, powerful running and movement off the ball make him a real handful.
When you look at some of the fees Chelsea have paid for players, €35 million was good value.
Very pleased he's ending the season strongly. He's a trier and it's hard to dislike any player with that quality.
Pretty clear that his first season has ended up better than Rasmus'.
As chaotic and dysfunctional as both sides have been, I think it's easier for a CF in Chelsea's team this season.
He's never going to be a star striker but for the money, honestly, who can do better?
Just look how much Spurs played for that Welsh Werner Johnson.
Just look how much Spurs played for that Welsh Werner Johnson.
Yeah the underlying metrics for Hojlund are pretty concerning. Obviously he shouldn't be written off but it's obvious he's struggled to get involved - hard to blame him exclusively as the midfield is so dysfunctional but he clearly has to improve:
Shots fired!
Yikes.
Uh oh don’t post that in the Hojlund thread or they’ll all come for you.
But yeah that pretty much confirms what we can all see (apart from that refuse to take their rose tinted specs off). Hojlund isn’t very good.
Even an oppo fan can see how badly the team is failing to provide a platform for Hojlund ffs
He's definitely got to improve but considering how little he gets to see the ball, I'm honestly not that worried. If and that's a big one, we see some semblance of a functional midfield and progressive football next season, I think we'll be having a completely different conversation about Hojlund. He barely gets to take two shots a game or receive the ball back from his midfielders/wingers. Will be interesting to revisit this in December.
Literally one of the worst I've seen. Bloody hell
Look at touches per 90 that explains things quite a bit.
Chelsea are currently a better unit than us. Multiple other pieces of data that prove it (open play xG, pitch control, PPDA, xGD/90 etc.). We're basically playing like a bottom half side this year so with Hojlund I rely on my eye test more. (https://theanalyst.com/eu/2023/08/premier-league-stats-2023-24/ and https://fbref.com/en/comps/9/Premier-League-Stats).
But yeah I agree that it can't all be written off saying our attackers don't give him the ball. He needs to do more.
I cant believe some of the takes on here after his performance VS City in the FA cup semi.
People saying he was crap and just fast, just wasn't true. Watching him this season is a breath of fresh air especially compared to the garbage since Costa left.
People saying he was crap and just fast, just wasn't true. Watching him this season is a breath of fresh air especially compared to the garbage since Costa left.
He's basically having almost the same season as last year - crap finishing all the way into April then a purple patch to finish the season strong and "fix" the numbers
I like him, he does a lot of things well and is a real handful for defenders, but the finishing is very much a concern. Really strong shades of Darwin Nuñez
I like him, he does a lot of things well and is a real handful for defenders, but the finishing is very much a concern. Really strong shades of Darwin Nuñez
I have seen a bit of Chelsea this season, and Jackson's all round game has improved massively since the start of the season. I watched the City semi, Utd game and Spurs games in recent months and what impressed me most was his hold up play and ability to turn with the ball under pressure from defenders.
He biggest problem at the moment is his finishing and decision making. If he gets that right then he will be a very usable PL CF.
He biggest problem at the moment is his finishing and decision making. If he gets that right then he will be a very usable PL CF.
Hojlund is getting the typical young player/new signing veneer from much of the fanbase at the moment, his issues are hand-waved away or blamed on others. The problem with this is that at some point if he stays at the same level you tend to get a perception over correction and a new scapegoat established.
For example Casemiro diving in like an idiot is not a new problem this season, he was doing it all last year as well, but he was getting excuses made for him, his teammates blamed or the refs being harsh on him "Cas would get booked for that". No he was just making dumb ass decisions.
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Jackson is a very interesting player. His pace and athletic ability are a big plus and he can combine well at times and has the ability to run at defenders and the strength to hold them off.
I think clubs are being a bit more analytical in how they are scouting/looking at players now. For strikers, a big athletic guy with a burst of pace is a great target for crosses, through balls etc. A player like Jackson, who isn't currently a polished finisher is going to get on the end of far more chances and at least get a shot away or get his head to something then a guy like Broja for example, who isn't as mobile, even if he's a better finisher.
Clubs like City, United and Liverpool have spent big on very athletic no. 9s, so I think clubs are looking at things like XG and saying if we get a player who can get to balls other players can't, even if they miss chances, over the course of a season they will still score a lot. Looking at the top scorers in the league, you have Haaland, Palmer, Isak, Solanke and Watkins. Four of those 5 are big, but very athletic no. 9s. I think Jackson, physically is in the same boat.
Sorting by XG on Understat, Haaland, Solanke, Salah, Isak, Nunez and Jackson have the most XG. They have all underperformed as finishers. Even Haaland is on 25 goals from 29 XG, but again, being such a good athletes mean they'll keep getting on the end of things. 5 of the 6 of those players being athletic no. 9s. Solanke is a guy who didn't look the part for years, but is performing now.
Obviously Haaland is a great finisher, but as a player, he seems to be the antithesis of what Pep would like in a player, as he has built teams around small, skillful interchangable players, but an out and out no. 9 and finisher has really helped them in Europe. Liverpool spent big on Nunez who's a similar XG monster, but he has frustrated. If he ever sorts out his finishing, he can score 20+ in the league every year. Jackson has improved as the season has gone on and I think he's worth sticking with upfront. I think he'll come good.
I think the trend of the big, imposing no. 9 is back and a lot of the big teams have gone down that road. I think the number crunching shows that those types of players will score a lot, even if their finishing isn't very polished, with presumably the idea that if they ever turn the corner with that aspect, you've a great player on your hands.
I think clubs are being a bit more analytical in how they are scouting/looking at players now. For strikers, a big athletic guy with a burst of pace is a great target for crosses, through balls etc. A player like Jackson, who isn't currently a polished finisher is going to get on the end of far more chances and at least get a shot away or get his head to something then a guy like Broja for example, who isn't as mobile, even if he's a better finisher.
Clubs like City, United and Liverpool have spent big on very athletic no. 9s, so I think clubs are looking at things like XG and saying if we get a player who can get to balls other players can't, even if they miss chances, over the course of a season they will still score a lot. Looking at the top scorers in the league, you have Haaland, Palmer, Isak, Solanke and Watkins. Four of those 5 are big, but very athletic no. 9s. I think Jackson, physically is in the same boat.
Sorting by XG on Understat, Haaland, Solanke, Salah, Isak, Nunez and Jackson have the most XG. They have all underperformed as finishers. Even Haaland is on 25 goals from 29 XG, but again, being such a good athletes mean they'll keep getting on the end of things. 5 of the 6 of those players being athletic no. 9s. Solanke is a guy who didn't look the part for years, but is performing now.
Obviously Haaland is a great finisher, but as a player, he seems to be the antithesis of what Pep would like in a player, as he has built teams around small, skillful interchangable players, but an out and out no. 9 and finisher has really helped them in Europe. Liverpool spent big on Nunez who's a similar XG monster, but he has frustrated. If he ever sorts out his finishing, he can score 20+ in the league every year. Jackson has improved as the season has gone on and I think he's worth sticking with upfront. I think he'll come good.
I think the trend of the big, imposing no. 9 is back and a lot of the big teams have gone down that road. I think the number crunching shows that those types of players will score a lot, even if their finishing isn't very polished, with presumably the idea that if they ever turn the corner with that aspect, you've a great player on your hands.
Agreed. It's also worthwhile remembering that he's a bit unusual (as far as PL players go) in that at 22 he's had very little professional football experience. His talent is clear to see but I think he'll be somewhat of a late bloomer like Drogba.
He has has so many chances to score or pass for an easy goal, if we had a striker that could convert half of the goals he misses we would easily be in the top 4..
Yes he has scored a few but we create loads and loads of chances
I like him. Frustrates the life out of me in front of goal but generally a good player who’s had a good season. There’s a decent chance he could reach 20 goals, given the form he’s in, which would be an incredible effort from him, considering the amount of slander he’s had all season.
He shows just how important athleticism and pace is in this league, if you have it then you’ll always have some level of success, a bit like Darwin. Hjolund doesn’t have that so will have to make it up by being a strong finisher with great movement.
He is simply a better footballer, technically also better. He is able to give every defender in the league a game because of ability not just physicality.
Many here have told me Hojlund is one of the quickest strikers in the league, quoting some top speed.
Hojlund will need time and we need a starter next season. Even Chelsea will hope they have a better player leading the line but at the moment Jackson is the superior player and not just because of physicality
Surprised that we went for Hojlund over somebody like Nunez or Jackson
Hojlund is strong and rapid, that's not the problem at all. I'd wait to judge him once we are capable of playing like a football team.
Yeah I don't disagree with you necessarily. It'd certainly be hugely premature to write him off & I think you could argue that Hojlund has actually done a decent job with the scraps he's had to live off of - but I also think it's fair to say that he hasn't done enough himself to get involved.
Think this is all spot on. Hard to argue against Jackson being a bargain and very worthwhile lottery ticket given how much these other young gambles cost.
He’s a less injury prone Danny Welbeck
Not very strong based on every time he gets bullied by a defender, his pace isn’t particularly useful given he can’t control the ball.