Gary Neville drops 'an unpopular opinion' on Chelsea player that will surprise fans

Gary Neville is not always the most popular pundit amongst Chelsea fans, but he has dropped what he describes as an ‘unpopular opinion’ on one Chelsea player this week that will surprise Blues fans.

Everyone has an opinion on Chelsea this season and on whether the individual players that they have signed are good enough currently, or will ever be good enough to play for Chelsea. They have quite often been labelled as average.

Neville often has some wild takes, but I think many Chelsea fans will agree with and be surprised with his view on striker Nicolas Jackson, who has been inconsistent in his first season at the club but has been looking much better in the last handful of games.

“I actually like Nicolas Jackson. That might be an unpopular opinion on here, but I like him,” said Neville on the Gary Neville podcast (quotes via Football London). “I think he has a lot to give. He’s a young player. I think they he cost…not stupid money but it’s his first full season in the Premier League, he’s scored quite a few goals and he keeps going.

“There’s a lot to be said about that. He might not be striker number 1 but if he was your striker number two or number three in a squad of 18 to 20 players, you’d say ‘I’ll take that’. So for me, the performance Chelsea put in against Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final that was a hell of a performance. Good, really good.

“And if they had a forward who could finish more consistently than Nicolas Jackson then they would have won the game, and I think that’s what Chelsea’s owners should be looking at. Performance standards are not consistent and they’re awful when they’re awful – but actually their good looks quite exciting.”

Neville added: “You can see something, but they just need two or three players to glue it together. They need really good, experienced signings. They can’t afford to go down the route of eight-year contracts.

“If they can get those right three players in at the end start of the season; the striker, the centre-back to replace Thiago Silva and the goalkeeper, I think, as well.”