Jacksonâs response to Mikel’s criticism fueled by hurt, says Michael Essien
Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has weighed in on the recent clash between Nicolas Jackson and Mikel Obi, suggesting that Jacksons reaction was fueled by the fact that the criticism came from a former player of the club.Last month, Mikel Obi criticised Jackson following Chelseas 2-0 loss to Manchester City, suggesting that the Senegal international did not meet the quality required at Chelsea.In response, Jackson delivered a strong performance in Chelseas subsequent victory over Wolves and took to social media to address Mikels remarks.In an Instagram story, Jackson tagged Mikel and wrote: “Shut your mouth, don’t talk sh*t, we are killing ourself for Africa.”The post sparked a range of reactions, and while Mikel later clarified that his comments were not meant to disrespect Jackson, Essien believes the criticism had a deeper impact.”We all have our personalities. Some will say it, but for me, I will just ignore it,” Essien told Joy Sports.”Everyone has an opinion, but I think its not personal. However, when the criticism comes from ex-players, it hurts the players even more, and then they react.”Since the criticism, Jackson has scored two goals and provided one assist in four games across all competitions for Chelsea.
