Shearer slams ‘not good enough’ Chelsea star in ‘no clue what he’s trying’ verdict; drops CL prediction
Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer has hit out at one Chelsea star and picked two Premier League sides to “miss out” on the Champions League.
Chelsea boosted their Champions League hopes with a vital 2-1 win at Fulham on Sunday afternoon.
Alex Iwobi fired Fulham ahead inside the opening 20 minutes, but Chelsea mounted a dramatic late comeback to turn the match around. 19-year-0ld Tyrique George netted an equaliser in the final ten minutes before Pedro Neto scored Chelsea’s second in stoppage time.
This result moves Chelsea up to fifth in the Premier League. They are level on points with sixth-placed Nottingham Forest, who face Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night.
Five Premier League teams are set to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Chelsea have work to do to secure a spot with Newcastle United, Manchester City, Forest and Aston Villa their main rivals.
READ: Premier League Worst XI: Man Utd spared but ‘best Premier League midfielder’ flops
Chelsea will need to improve in attack if they are to qualify for the Champions League, with Nicolas Jackson among their struggling forwards.
Jackson is without a Premier League goal this year and Shearer has explained why he was “not good enough” against Fulham.
“They were very different halves and they were really struggling in the forward positions, Chelsea,” Shearer said on Match of the Day 2.
“When you consider Cole Palmer hasn’t scored in 16 games, Nicolas Jackson hasn’t scored in 13 games and it just wasn’t working for them again for whatever reason.
“They lost the ball far too easily, they weren’t really a threat in front of goal.”
MORE CHELSEA COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Premier League net spend table: Liverpool below West Ham over last five years!
👉 Premier League prize money table revealed with Liverpool set to break Manchester City record
👉 Maresca salvages Chelsea marriage for now despite inexplicable mistakes against Fulham
He continued: “If Jackson makes a run there, towards the penalty spot, it makes it so much easier for [Marc] Cucurella to put that ball in there.
“But he has to pass it backwards and then Palmer loses it again and then Fulham are on the attack. It happened so many times.
“When the ball goes up there, it has to stick. I really haven’t got a clue what he’s trying to do here. He has got options but I’m not sure even he knows what he’s doing when he gets into that position.
“That’s basically not good enough.”
Shearer has also backed Chelsea and another club to “miss out” on the Champions League.
“Chelsea have got the toughest run-in, do you think?” Shearer added.
“It’s hard enough to predict results anyway but at this stage of the season it’s almost impossible.
“But my guess will be maybe Chelsea and Nottingham Forest may miss out.”
