Nicolas Jackson scored his first ever Premier League goal from outside the box against Everton last weekend and interestingly enough it came after my article last week encouraging players to shoot on sight.
Of course Jackson doesn’t read the site, or at least I don’t think he does (I did hear that at least three players do). But either way, it was so refreshing to see Jackson hit a shot on sight just like Tyrique George and Pedro Neto did for their goals that saw us beat Fulham.
So our last three goals have all been from strikes where the players don’t even think about it, have a half sight at goal, and just instinctively smash it in. This is something that our attackers have not been doing. You can put Jadon Sancho’s goal against Ipswich in this category as well.
So they can do it, but why haven’t they been doing it? Tactical? Lack of confidence? Bit of both? Whatever it is, I am encouraging them to keep doing it because it’s literally won us the last two games (as well as Robert Sanchez for the Everton game at least). Back yourself and just hit it when you’re in a position to. Some might get saved, some might not even hit the target, but look at the rewards when they go in. You have to shoot to score. You miss all of the chances you don’t take.
This is the type of goal we were scoring in the first half of the season, pressing aggressively, winning the ball, transitioning fast and in numbers, and shooting on sight before the rest of the defenders can retreat and get back in position.
What Jackson has done here is what he and the rest of the team need to do more of, but especially him as a striker.
He doesn’t even look at the goal before he hits the ball, it is just instinctive that he knows where it is.
I’ve been critical of Jackson since he arrived and I will always maintain that he is never going to be the 9 profile we need and he is more of a Nicolas Anelka or a Salomon Kalou, but that doesn’t mean he can’t score more, and he should be. If he played this way coming in on his right foot off the left then I think he would be very dangerous. It will be very interesting to see what happens with him when we finally (hopefully) sign a true 9 this summer.
More of the same please Nico, and the rest of the attackers. Back yourselves.
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