‘There’s nobody better to play for England than Jordan Pickford’: Everton legend Neville Southall defends club’s current No 1 and insists Carlo Ancelotti and Gareth Southgate …
Pickford #Pickford
Jordan Pickford deserves to be England’s No 1 goalkeeper and has been unfairly criticised, according to Everton legend Neville Southall.
Pickford has come under fire for making mistakes this season. The ‘keeper was at fault for two goals in Everton’s Carabao Cup victory over Fleetwood and also made a blunder in the league game against Brighton.
Despite the errors, Toffees’ boss Carlo Ancelotti and England manager Gareth Southgate have kept faith with him and former Everton shot-stopper Southall believes they were right to.
Everton legend Neville Southall believes Jordan Pickford has been unfairly criticised
Pickford has come under fire for making mistakes that have led to goals this season
‘There’s nobody better to play for England than Jordan Pickford,’ Southall said in an exclusive interview with the Gary Newbon Sports Show with Utilita on Punching.TV.
‘Carlo Ancelotti is playing him every week and he’s doing well.
‘He’s had a couple of dodgy times but I can’t think of a goalkeeper in the world who hasn’t. He’s come through it and he’s doing okay.
‘Jordan Pickford has done nothing wrong for England and they still don’t want him in the team. It’s not Everton’s priority to buy another goalkeeper. I’ve never seen it as a big issue. ‘
Southall insists that there is nobody better for England than Everton’s No 1 shot-stopper
Pickford has not kept a clean sheet since Everton beat Tottenham on the opening day of the season.
In the third-round of the Carabao Cup in October, he made two errors which allowed Fleetwood back into the game before the Toffees went on to win 5-2. First, he dithered over a clearance which was eventually charged down for Mark Duffy to make it 2-1.
He then changed his mind over a cross and flapped at Callum Camps’ overhead kick which found its way into the net to make it 3-2.
The 26-year-old was at fault for two goals in the Toffees’ Carabao Cup victory over Fleetwood
He also made an error against Brighton when he dropped the ball at the feet of Neal Maupay
In the following league game, the goalkeeper dropped the ball at the feet of Brighton striker Neal Maupay, who was able to go round him and finish into an empty net. Everton went on to win the game 4-2.
Pickford was also in the spotlight during the Merseyside derby when he managed to avoid a red card and giving a penalty away despite a reckless tackle on Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.
Ancelotti decided to take Pickford out of the firing line for the game against Newcastle but he was brought back to face Manchester United. The ‘keeper has not made any high profile mistakes since and made some impressive saves in Everton’s 1-0 defeat by Leeds last weekend.
The goalkeeper was impressive in Everton’s defeat by Leeds and made some vital saves
Burnley’s Nick Pope is currently second choice to Pickford at international level and Southgate has repeatedly defended his No 1.
‘When people say I have been loyal to him, he has deserved that,’ the England boss said in November.
‘His performances have been excellent for us and so that has not been a difficult decision for me. We have some competition for places but I would have to say that there is nobody who I think is challenging seriously at the moment to push him out of that position.’
The Gary Newbon Sports Show with Utilita, with @Punching.TV, and in association with MailOnline Sport, will be streamed live every Thursday #GNSS.
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