Chelsea striker debate brewing up – Talk Chelsea

Now Armando Broja is back from his injury and looking good, there is a new striker debate opening up amongst Chelsea fans, Broja or Nicolas Jackson to be the main starter?

Now I’m not really talking about this Saturday because for me Nicolas Jackson should start that game. Armando Broja had to come off with fatigue on Monday after starting the game and he probably isn’t ready to start again just yet. I’d expect him off the bench.

But in the long run, who starts as our regular centre forward? Or do we play them both?

It’s an incredibly tough call and to be honest, that is what we need all over the pitch. We need Mauricio Pochettino to have VERY tough calls to make on who starts for him, because that means that first and foremost we have a largely fit squad, and secondly that we have good competition all over the pitch which is what all the top teams need to succeed.

It’s a big problem for Pochettino, but a good problem for Pochettino. It’s incredibly tough to call.

Ideally I’d be starting both Broja and Jackson and seeking a formation that would allow that to happen. In the current formation in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 then I see Jackson coming on off a wide left position and being used more like Nicolas Anelka was at Chelsea, especially in a 4-3-3. I actually think he would thrive the most and the best if he is playing alongside a striker somehow. I see him more as a second striker or a wide striker than a centre forward.

But that would mean dropping Mykhailo Mudryk from that left wing position and we all know that cannot happen with the Ukrainian finding some form of late and needs to keep playing to continue that momentum. But Jackson out wide is certainly an option.

If I had to pick one striker to start when both are fully fit, for me right now it is Broja. And that is just me calling it as I see it. I’ve always rated Broja and I just see him as a more suitable option for the lone centre forward role that we use.

I’ll explain why….

But before I do, I am not saying that Jackson cannot and will not improve his assets to make him more of a centre forward, I think he can absolutely do that. But what I see right now is Broja just being a better centre forward option due to his attributes and assets.

Jackson is super quick and I think he operates the very best when he is playing off the shoulder of the last defender and looking to get in behind against a team that plays with a high-line. But what he lacks for me at the moment anyway, is that bit of strength and physicality on the ball and if he has his back to goal.

Whereas Broja does have that. He is better at holding the ball up and he is stronger with the ball at his feet. The ball sticks to him more and as a result he is able to hold up play and bring other team mates in a lot better than Jackson does.

Jackson is super quick we have all seen that, and running with the ball facing up defenders he can be very dangerous. But Broja also has that, and he is quicker than a lot of people (cough cough FIFA) give him credit for. He’s actually really fast, and he can be a target man style of striker as well as playing off the last man and running in behind.

Neither Broja or Jackson are the finished article yet and we still don’t know whether Broja will continue his good form on injury recovery (even though all the early signs are great). So of course my opinions on this can change and both players are still young and developing. They are both more than capable of finishing chances, but I just see Broja as more of a natural finisher I think.

On gut instinct and because of the reasons I mention above, it would be Broja for me if I had to pick between the two, and I am SO glad that I actually don’t have to and that is Pochettino’s VERY tough decision to make!