A “very jittery” Everton player has been lambasted for his performance for his country during the international break, getting a 1/10 rating from one publication.
Pickford starts in England defeat
Many Blues heroes are off representing their respective nations currently, with Premier League action making way for international commitments, much to the frustration of many supporters.
One such figure is Jordan Pickford, who has become England’s undisputed first-choice goalkeeper for many years now, starting in major tournaments and rarely letting the Three Lions down, most famously proving to be the penalty shootout hero against Colombia at the 2018 World Cup.
On Thursday evening, however, the 30-year-old suffered a shock defeat at home to Greece, with former Everton midfielder Lee Carsley seeing his chances of getting the manager’s job hampered greatly.
Pickford was bailed out hugely by a goal-line clearance by Chelsea defender Levi Colwill, having dawdled in possession in the first half, and soon after he missed an attempted punch and the visitors scored, only to see the goal ruled out for offside. He still conceded twice, however, arguably not doing brilliantly for either goal, even if they may be a little harsh.
Pickford's England performance slammed by media
It was a miserable night for Pickford, who rarely looked like the best goalkeeper that England have to offer, with talkSPORT even handing him a 1/10 rating. Meanwhile, speaking on ITV after the game, Roy Keane wasn’t impressed with the Everton stopper, saying:
“It sends a message about concentration levels, and that spreads throughout the team. Again there’s a lack of urgency. What’s he [Pickford] doing?! Do it quickly. Brilliant defending, very unlucky by Greece but a lovely message for defenders – never give it up. He [Colwill] chased it and did brilliant. But not a good message from Pickford to send.”
Meanwhile, speaking alongside Keane, Ian Wright claimed Pickford was “all over the place” and “very jittery”, with plenty of criticism coming his way.
The Blues ‘keeper has always been a divisive figure among the footballing public, with some impressed by the consistent job he has done for England, but others feeling that a big mistake is never too far away.
His character also splits opinion, and while a chunk of supporters like his extrovert style and passion, others feel he isn’t a calming influence on his teammates, making saves for the camera and being too noticeable in matches.
In fairness to Pickford, he has rarely let England down, as mentioned, and he has bailed Everton out many times in recent seasons during relegation battles, but he has made an iffy start to this season for both club and country.
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At Tottenham earlier in the campaign, he got embarrassingly robbed of possession by Son Heung-min, who then tapped into an empty net, and there have been rumours that Sean Dyche is ready to drop him. Granted, he made a big penalty save from Anthony Gordon last weekend, but improvements are needed in his all-round game.
