NBC’s breakdown of the Chelsea Luton game had some interesting comments on Nico Jackson (who got his first goal for the club in that game) from Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe.
They said he was more of an “on the shoulder guy” than a “link up guy.”
His goal was a poacher’s goal for sure, but they seem to see him more as a forward always looking to run in behind rather than drop deep. That’s simply not what we’ve seen ourselves…
There’s no denying that his frame means he doesn’t look the cleanest or the silkiest when playing little touches around the corner, but that’s just aesthetics. His movements and his work rate get him into position to create space and create chances for others all the time, and we think he’s very much going to be a “link up guy” as well a scorer.
You can see their comments at the start of the video embedded here:
Got to agree with SuperFrank on this one.
Yes, we’ve seen Jackson looking to play off the shoulder of the defense and make the run in behind, but throughout pre-season and into the first three weeks of league play he hasn’t been afraid to pop into pockets of space between the lines and look to play combinations. And in the latter cases, he’s shown himself to be unexpectedly strong (given his frame) and well-balanced with the defender draped on his back.
Though he’s yet to deliver all of what we want to see finishing in front of goal, thus far he’s shown a very encouraging willingness to work off the ball and appears to have a knack for movement that unsettles the defense. All that remains is for the understanding with teammates to mature and the goals to begin to flow.