’TIS the season of goodwill to all men — unless you are Nicolas Jackson.
For him, Christmas is the time to turn on anyone who thinks Chelsea have not been playing very well by accusing them of talking s**t.
ReutersNicolas Jackson might be the best man to put a much-needed rocket up the posterior of Mauricio Pochettino’s mid-table mediocrities[/caption]
PA:Press AssociationDiego Costa’s fiery qualities helped win two Prem titles for Chelsea[/caption]
There was a time earlier this season when I thought Senegalese international Jackson was a petulant and pretty average striker.
Having met him for the first time last Saturday, I now regard him as a petulant and pretty average striker — and just the right man to put a rocket up Chelsea’s a**e.
Which is what they have needed for quite some time . . .
Already banned this season for arguing, cursing and generally losing his rag, Wacko Jacko shows no sign of reining it in — despite what his despairing manager Mauricio Pochettino might hope for.
During a five-minute chat with reporters last weekend, Jackson used the s-word five times.
Even when an exasperated club media officer tried to change the subject, he immediately returned to his expletive-laden theme of the day in defence of his Blues team-mates, who actually have been playing s**t despite what he says.
Nevertheless, how refreshing it was to hear a Premier League footballer stick up for his mates in language that would make the Virgin Mary blush.
And for those of us who have been covering Chelsea for some time, it rekindles memories of Diego Costa — the only man who should have played in a straitjacket but who won two Premier League titles at Stamford Bridge before hitting the self-destruct button.
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Antonio Conte, Laurent Koscielny and Emre Can still bear the mental and physical scars from confronting the volatile Brazilian-turned-Spanish centre-forward.
A man who floored his own club physio with a devastating boxing combination during a muck around.
Jackson has a way to go to follow in the footsteps of football’s ultimate war machine — but this is a great start.
Costa scored seven goals in his first four Premier League games.
Jackson has taken almost half his debut season to reach the same level. He has the same amount of bookings, though.
What is clearly having an effect on Chelsea is the new bloke’s hair-trigger temper and the way that he approaches like an aggressive town-centre drunk squaring up on the cobbles after a Saturday night out.
In Tuesday’s Carabao Cup shootout win over Newcastle, it was interesting to see a clearly-enraged Jackson pulled away by team-mates while leaning over a stricken Emil Krafth.
The Toon defender was lying poleaxed on the ground having been floored by a nasty-looking tackle.
Swede Krafth was genuinely hurt but Jackson was totally unimpressed and let him know.
Emil Krafth was genuinely injured but Jackson still had to be hauled away by Chelsea team-mates as he gave the Newcastle star a verbal blastRex
Germany central defender Antonio Rudiger, now at Real Madrid, had a steely edge during his five years at Stamford BridgeGetty
Deep into injury time, Chelsea’s wallflower winger Mykhailo Mudryk grabbed Bruno Guimaraes round the throat in retaliation for a foul on his mate Ian Maatsen.
Chelsea have had two different captains sent off in successive weeks this season.
There was a time when anybody who fancied spending Sunday with their testicles still connected would dare pick a fight at Stamford Bridge.
Aside from Costa, Antonio Rudiger was a punch-up waiting to happen and John Terry could more than handle himself.
One of the major failings of Chelsea last season was the general theory that everyone in their crowded dressing room was too nice.
And interim boss Frank Lampard, the club’s 211-goal record scorer and a ferocious competitor who won everything, pined for the days when your team-mates would have your back but also rip the shirt off it for a place in the team.
Chelsea are a million miles away from winning the league title again and Jackson may never possess the finishing ability to consider himself a legend on the pitch.
But if he can regurgitate even a crumb of the old siege mentality that made the club so terrifying to play, the FA fines will be worth paying and the swear box will be full of cash.
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