Currently trending online is the exchange of hot words between Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel and the current Chelsea striker, Nicolas Jackson.
The row started when Mikel offered what he thought was a constructive criticism of Jackson’s displays in the opening Premier League match against Manchester City, arguing that the Senegalese hitman lacks goalscoring prowess and that Chelsea requires a conventional centre-forward.
Jackson’s Fiery Response
In response to Mikel’s critique, Jackson took to Instagram, posting a strongly worded message: ‘Shut your mouth, don’t talk shit, we are killing ourselves for Africa’ as reported by Sportsbuddy.
This post created sentiment on social media, especially on the platform X (previously known as Twitter).
Some of the fans sympathised with Jackson and saw his aggression as a sign of the team’s passion for the victory; others felt Jackson was rude to a club icon.
John Mikel Obi’s Calm Retort
In his Obi-One podcast, Mikel tackled the issue, in which he reaffirmed his opinion but also said that he is willing to change his mind.
“If he plays well, I will praise him. If there’s something to say about him where he needs to improve, I will definitely say it… If he scores every week and tells me to shut up, I will take it”
Mikel Obi responds to Nicolas Jackson calling him out. https://t.co/fuV4H0ce5y pic.twitter.com/xw9KHRDcQt
— @𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗯𝗼𝘆 (@OneJoblessBoy) August 26, 2024
“If he plays well, I will praise him. If there’s something to say about him where he needs to improve, I will definitely say it. If he scores every week and tells me to shut up, I will take it.”
Chelsea fans are now divided in opinion depending on whether they feel that Jackson overstepped her bounds or whether she was just giving it back.
