Former Everton captain Alan Stubbs has been speaking about Jarrad Branthwaite and Jordan Pickford
Alan Stubbs believes it is “fundamental” that David Moyes builds his new-look Everton team around Jarrad Branthwaite and Jordan Pickford this summer and has branded suggestions that the latter’s place as England number one could be under threat as “crazy.”
In an article published on June 2, the ECHO’s Everton correspondent Joe Thomas wrote “the Blues boss has set his sights on building the squad that will take Everton into their stunning new stadium around a defensive axis of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and the centre back pairing of Branthwaite and James Tarkowski.”
The same piece stated that interest from Tottenham Hotspur was currently felt to be the most serious in Branthwaite but former Everton captain Stubbs agrees with his old manager’s plans and told the ECHO: “It’s the right thing for me for Jarrad to stay put. As an Everton fan, I want to see Everton build a team around Jarrad Branthwaite and Jordan Pickford, because I think they’re the future of the football club, especially Jarrad in terms of his age.
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“We’ve had the years gone by where we’ve had to sell players because of the situation we were in. Now we’re at the beginning, or nearly at the beginning, of a new dawn, where Everton have almost come through to the other side.
“Maybe there will be one more transfer window where you have to be just a little bit cautious, but then I think we’ll be free of the shackles of PSR. I think Everton will be more prudent going forward, rather than the Kamikaze spending we’ve seen in the past.
“With that, I think it’s fundamental that Everton try and build a team around Pickford and Branthwaite. We’ve got England’s number one but how Branthwaite wasn’t called up for Thomas Tuchel’s first squad before he got injured, baffles me.
“When I saw some of the other players who were picked in the squad ahead of Jarrad, it was a little bit surprising. He’s just got to keep doing what he’s been doing because I really do believe he’s a future England centre-half in the making.”
Stubbs reckons that Branthwaite, who was the subject of two rejected bids from Manchester United last summer (£35million plus add-ons in June and £45million plus add-ons in July) will only get better. Given the £80million fee that Manchester United paid for Harry Maguire in 2019, the £75million Chelsea paid for Wesley Fofana in 2022 and the £77million Manchester City paid for Josko Gvardiol in 2023, Goodison Park top brass considered their most valuable asset to be in the same bracket, especially given the premium for both left-footed defenders and homegrown talent.
Speaking to the ECHO on behalf of football betting sites, the retired central defender, who made 193 appearances for Everton and scored seven goals across two spells, said: “I think Jarrad is exceeding where he should be at right now in terms of his age. Centre-halves, as we all know, get better with age, but I think he’s got fantastic attributes in terms of what you’d look for in your modern day centre-back.
“He’s quick, he’s dominant in the air, but I think he can become even more dominant. His one v one defending is good and will get better.
“The one area I’d say he needs to work on is concentration but that comes with age and experience. He’ll learn as he goes along and playing alongside James Tarkowski has been great for him in terms of having an experienced partner pulling and pushing him, telling him when to go and providing that voice.
“As he becomes older himself and more experienced, Jarrad’s voice will become more prominent. Right now, I don’t think he’s the most vocal, but that will happen.”
Ahead of the Three Lions’ double-header of fixtures this week, manager Thomas Tuchel claimed that “the race is on” to be England number one. Everton ace Pickford, who has been undisputed first choice since November 2017, was largely untested in the 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory away to Andorra, overhauling David Seaman and Joe Hart to become his country’s most-capped goalkeeper after Peter Shilton, but talkSPORT bizarrely handed him a player rating of 3/10 on his 76th appearance, remarking that he: “had nothing to do in his performance, but dropped down for failing to do anything special with the ball at his feet.”
The 31-year-old was then rested for the home friendly with Senegal on Tuesday as understudy Dean Henderson was nutmegged at his near post with an effort that went into his goal off his leg in a 3-1 defeat – England’s first ever loss to an African nation – but Stubbs is unimpressed by what many have viewed as undue scrutiny of Pickford’s performances with Neville Southall and the late Kevin Campbell both going as far as describing it as “a witch hunt.” He said: “I think it’s crazy to be honest. When you look at his record, it stacks up against anybody.
“It’s not Jordan Pickford’s fault that there’s nobody potentially pushing him. He’s been head and shoulders England’s number one goalkeeper for a long time and I think the problem for them is that there’s nobody who is even close to him ability wise.
“Jordan’s record and number of clean sheets are unprecedented. He’s never let anyone down, whether it’s Everton or England and how many times can you say that about an outfield player for England?
“It almost feels like because Jordan has been so good for England, some people have got to try and think of something to talk about. He’s the ultimate ‘Mr Consistent’ and the fact that people are even trying to question that beggars belief if I’m being honest.
“He should be the first name on the sheet and the discussion is the rest of the team. You’ve probably only got two or three outfield players who are confirmed starters and the rest, it’s up for grabs.”