Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel labeled Nicolas Jackson's broadcast against Flamengo a “stupid mistake” and said his old club has no leaders.
Four minutes after a replacement for new signing Liam Delap on the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Jackson was seen a straight red card for a studs-up challenge on Ayrton Lucas, four minutes after a replacement for new signing of Liam Delap in Philadelphia, while Chelsea collapsed to a 3-1 loss at the WORLD WORLD WORLD.
Chelsea seemed to be on track for a second victory in the competition after the escape opener of Pedro Neto in the first half, but she saw bad defense twice in three minutes after the break, with Jackson's moment of madness after moments later.
The late goal of Wallace Yan sealed the victory for Flamengo, but Jackson's Sing, on his 24th birthday, and only six weeks after he saw Red for an elbow on Newcastle defender Sven Botman in the Premier League, was the dominant conversation point.
Mikel spoke on Dazn, who won 11 trophies in an 11-year-old spell in Chelsea, about Jackson's red card: “Incredibly. Stupid, stupid, stupid mistake.
“I don't know what's going through his head. You get into the game, you're 2-1 down, your team needs you, and you do that.
“He did it in the important Premier League match against Newcastle, when we had to win to qualify for the Champions League places, and he did it again.
“You can't keep making mistakes.”
The Red Card by Jackson came after an impressive first start of Delap, a signature of £ 30 million from Ipswich who joined Chelsea to compete for the Senegal International start spot in the Enzo Maresca team.
“I don't care what his frustration is,” Mikel added. “Chelsea is a huge football club and it is about competition.
“If you are angry, if you come from the Delap to the club and he becomes your competition, you have to embrace it.
“If you are a big player, you embrace it.”
Maresca would not be attracted by Jackson's broadcast in his interview after the game. “It was a red card, so nothing to say,” he said.
But Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella defended his teammate and said he will learn from it. “It's a bit of bad luck,” said Cucurella.
“He tried to put his foot in to kick the ball, but he kicked the player's leg. That's it. We now miss him for the next game.
“He is a young player with a lot of quality and maybe he should improve this. We are not perfect, it is part of the game.”
'Chelsea must bring in a top goalkeeper'
Mikel's criticism was not only focused on Jackson. He felt that Chelsea's collapse was indicative of a lack of leadership in general.
“When you talk about leaders, people who can stand on the field and control the game and their teammates, that's what Chelsea had when John Terry and Didier Drogba were in the club.
“People who can call the players and say,” Listen, let's calm down a little. “I don't see that here, I don't see any leaders. I only see players making mistakes.”
Mikel thought that goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was one of those players, next to Jackson.
“I spoke about him so often,” he added. “Sanchez, I don't think he is a keeper who can lead us to winning titles.
“If you want to win titles and become a big football club, you must have a top man.
“For me I said it so often, he is not that guy, he is not that keeper.
“We have to strengthen this summer and bring in a top goalkeeper if we want to compete in terms of winning titles.”
The defeat against Flamengo leaves Chelgesa second in group D at the Club World Cup, three points behind leaders Flamengo before their last group match against Es Tunis on Wednesday.