Pundit View: National Team Manager Should Have Harshly Criticized Everton Star for His Actions
John Aldridge Slams Jordan Pickford After Everton Star's Blunder Nearly Costs England Against Greece
The Three Lions suffered a 2-1 defeat to Greece in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday (10 October), with Jordan Pickford enduring a forgettable performance.
Just nine minutes into the game, Pickford botched a clearance, nearly gifting Greece an early goal.
Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge criticized the Everton goalkeeper for the blunder and suggested that England boss Lee Carsley should have been harsher in response.
“You see England keeper Jordan Pickford trying to play as a sweeper, tripping over the ball 35 yards from his line and almost conceding a goal – it’s hard to explain,” Aldridge wrote in his column for Sunday World (13 October).
“Carsley should have really hammered Pickford for his antics, but he won’t because every manager plays this way now.”
Pickford’s tough night continued, as he failed to prevent either of Greece’s two goals, and was fortunate not to concede more thanks to a Levi Colwill clearance and a VAR decision.
The early mistake seemed to affect his confidence, as he hesitated during a corner later in the match.
Despite this setback, the 30-year-old will look to bounce back when England take on Finland on Sunday (13 October).
While Pickford has a history of occasional errors, his recent performances for Everton show he can be a game-changer.
Just a week earlier, he saved a penalty from former teammate Anthony Gordon, helping Everton secure a point and extend their unbeaten run to three games.
According to FotMob, Pickford made three crucial saves that day, preventing an expected goals on target (xGOT) of 0.86, and recovering the ball seven times.
