Paul Parker has blamed Enzo Maresca for Chelsea’s transfer ‘mistake’ over Nicolas Jackson and says the head coach has been disrespectful to one of the club’s rivals.
Bayern Munich paid £14m to sign Jackson on loan in the summer with an obligation to make the deal permanent for a further £56m if he made 40 starts for the German side.
It’s no longer possible for Jackson to start 40 matches for Bayern this term as he is playing for Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations, meaning the 24-year-old striker will be heading back to Chelsea at the end of the season.
But Chelsea have reportedly made it clear to Jackson that his time at the club is ‘over’ and will sanction his permanent exit next summer.
Ex-Chelsea defender Parker has now claimed the Blues made a mistake letting go of Jackson – and says Maresca didn’t manage him properly.
Get personalised updates on Chelsea every day
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.
‘I think it’s already clear that Chelsea made a mistake letting go of Nicolas Jackson in the summer,’ Parker told gambling portal British Gambler.
‘I don’t think Enzo Maresca worked hard enough at managing him, which is why they slipped up and let him go.
‘I don’t think he knew what kind of player he had. I’ve always been a fan of Jackson.
‘He never stops running and every time he made a mistake, he’d be the first player to try and win that ball back.
‘People criticised him for running offside a lot, but at least he’s running – that’s what a centre forward needs to be doing! It’s up to his teammates to help him.
‘They’ve gone and spent money on Liam Delap, and I do like him, but Jackson is the player they need at the moment.’
Parker: Maresca disrespected Leeds United
Meanwhile, Parker has reflected on Chelsea’s last two Premier League games as they lost 3-1 to rivals Leeds United before a 0-0 draw with AFC Bournemouth.
Parker feels that Maresca ‘disrespected’ the rivalry between Chelsea and Leeds.
‘Chelsea had an unbelievable opportunity to get top of the Premier League last week,’ Parker added.
‘But Enzo Maresca made a massive mistake and disrespected Leeds. He totally dismissed what that game and rivalry was about.
‘There was absolutely no understanding in his head. Someone should have shown him that 1970 FA Cup final for him to understand the gravity of that fixture. If he’d seen that, he would’ve fired up those Chelsea players for the game.
‘Then they went to Bournemouth and only picked up a point, when they should have won. Those two games were vital in their Premier League push this season. They’d be sitting towards the top of the league – it was a wasted opportunity.’
