Play Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson in the same starting lineup? Could that work? Yes, it absolutely could.
Again, I have picked up on a reaction post I saw on X last night after our 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, and this had me intrigued.
@VdykCFC wrote:
‘Genuinely think if Jackson had another ST next to him then we could probably win the league. Take the stress of scoring off him and share it with the other ST — let him play his natural game, which isn’t scoring 20 goals a season.
‘Wholeheartedly believe that the Jackson x Delap combo would reek havoc on Premier League defences, they’d complement each other so well. Need Maresca to give it a go when/if we sign Delap — Jackson x Delap could be the blueprint…’
So I think this comment is a little over the top, I don’t think by simply signing Delap alone we would win the league. We need a whole new spine to this team to do that, as I mentioned in another article today. However, the base of what he is saying I do agree with.
I believe also that Jackson and Delap could genuinely compliment each other if playing in the same team.
I am using Delap here because of his style of play, stature, and him being the most heavily linked striker to us right now [from what our sources are hearing]. But people know I am also a huge fan of Viktor Gyokeres as well, and he’s another true 9 I would love to see come in.
But I also really rate Delap and what he could bring. I’d love to see him come to Chelsea. I love his presence up there, bullying defenders and scaring them silly. He also has a very good finish on him, something I think we would see more of when he moves to a better side with more attacking output.
And if he does come to Chelsea, why can’t Jackson be what they would sign Mathys Tel for? A second or wide striker? Or a left winger? Just watch the way Jackson plays and what he is best at doing, and tell me this isn’t true. How he collects the ball deep, goes on the turn, and just travels at pace forward and often gets a shot off. Imagine if he did that wide on the left? Maybe he wouldn’t have the defensive output to be a winger in this Enzo Maresca system, I’m not sure. But he’s young, so he could learn. I see him much more as a wide player than I do as a 9. I truly believe this would be his calling. He does a job as a 9, for sure, but he doesn’t provide the physicality, stature, and focal point that we need in that position. Liam Delap does.
I’ve said before that I really don’t like to look back too much and speak about former players. But I cannot help in these circumstance but go back to the Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka period and how good their link-up was. They complimented each other, with Drogba and his physicality battling centrally and being an output, and Anelka coming in off the left as a wide striker/winger. I genuinely see Jackson as Anelka. And if you put more of a target man type up with him, we could honestly see tremendous success.
We all know Jackson needs more help with goals as well, so moving him wider would take some of the pressure off that side of it, because I am sure he is feeling it whenever a big chance comes his way and he fluffs it.
I obviously have no idea if Maresca would even think about doing this, but if we are looking at a player like Tel, who is more of a winger than a striker, then why can’t Jackson just do that and we sign an actual striker instead? With the Mykhailo Mudryk situation, maybe Jackson could provide the cover there too?
I know Tel has much better ball-striking than Jackson does at the moment, but I’m speaking more in terms of the profile of Tel and where he plays. Jackson can do that role and the money would be better spent signing and out and out striker, which is what we truly need.
Before you drop your thoughts, I am in no way saying that Delap is the levels of Drogba, or Jackson is the level of Anelka. But just in terms of profiles, they can play in the same way.
