"I Never Called Nicolas Jackson a Bad Player" Mikel Obi Sets the Record Straight Amidst Social Media Feud

Former Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi has addressed the controversy surrounding his comments on current Chelsea player Nicolas Jackson's finishing skills.

The incident began after Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City, where Mikel criticized Jackson's performance, particularly his finishing. Mikel stated, "We’ve played okay, not perfectly, but okay. We created chances but didn’t take them. Jackson’s finishing is a prime example. Even though he was offside, you could see how he dribbled past one, two, three players and the way he struck the ball! You need a striker who knows how to put the ball in the back of the net, and that’s what we’re lacking."

Jackson responded to this criticism by telling Mikel to "shut up" in a social media post after scoring in Chelsea's 6-2 rout of Wolves the following week. This exchange highlighted the tension between constructive criticism and personal pride among athletes.

Mikel later defended his remarks, clarifying that his intention was not to label Jackson as a "bad player." He emphasized, "I’ve always said what I’ve said about Nicolas Jackson. He is a good player, there is not once I have ever said he is a bad player. The only criticism is his finishing needs to be much better. In terms of giving us what we want, being in the right place at the right time, he does for the team. It’s not coming from a bad place, it’s really constructive criticism. But he doesn’t (see it that way). That’s why when he scored, he told me to shut up!"