How many caps must Jordan Pickford accumulate before he receives the respect and trust he deserves as England’s No.1?
A hundred? He’s not far off.
Must he earn more than any other England goalkeeper? Peter Shilton’s record is in his sights and he’s already surpassed everyone else.
Despite eight years as undisputed no.1, Pickford still gets pelters from critics, many of whom don’t know why they don’t rate him. It’s all a bit weird now.
Maybe it’s Jude Bellingham’s fault. It often is. But the Real Madrid star is making himself difficult – but never impossible – to scapegoat right now so some pundits and punters need to make contingencies in case Bellingham remains as close to unimpeachable as it is possible to be as an England player.
That’s the only reason we can find for some of the criticism aimed at Pickford during this tournament, in which he hasn’t had a bad game or cost England in any material way.
In that respect, this World Cup is Pickford’s England career in microcosm. He will win his 87th cap against DR Congo. In the 86 before, how many goals has Pickford given up too easily?
Certainly in competitive games, Pickford has been as reliable as any goalkeeper can be. We can all decide on our best-ever England No.1, a debate usually overcast with nostalgia, but Pickford is certainly in the reckoning. This century, he’s so very clearly the best.
Don’t get ‘best’ and ‘favourite’ muddled here.
Pickford’s record with England is unparalleled among those who followed World Cup winner Gordon Banks. The 32-year-old has played in two European Championships finals and the World Cup semi-final, each time playing a major role in getting the Three Lions to the brink.
Perhaps he needs that winner’s medal with England to convince some. Which is a woefully basic way of judging a no.1, and illustrates the abject lack of understanding that so many are happy to embrace around goalkeeping. Shilton and David Seaman achieved less than Pickford in an England shirt, but that doesn’t stop either from being revered.
Of course, Shilts and Spunky won domestic and European titles with their clubs, so perhaps Pickford pays for the fact he’s played for Everton for almost a decade.
Maybe there is some merit to that argument. Competing for major honours would enhance his standing and legacy. At least that massive fraud Harry Kane dabbled occasionally in the Champions League while dodging pots with Spurs.
It isn’t that Pickford does not deserve such a stage – he certainly does. But Everton, apparently, is a grand old team to play for and his loyalty ought not to be used as stick to beat him with. Even if we’re still curious to see Pickford follow Kane’s path, if only to quieten the doubters.
Those critics appear to feel emboldened during the World Cup but so few seem able to put their finger on why they don’t feel at ease with Pickford.
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Some point at his distribution without being able to specify the issue. Doubtless the same people would p*ss and moan if Pickford smashed everything in the vague direction of Kane, rather than build from the back as he’s been instructed by Thomas Tuchel.
Goalkeepers pretending to be Pirlo can be triggering for many. But blame the coaches, not the keepers for that. No goalkeeper can go through a season with 100% pass accuracy. If coaches and fans want the reward for playing out from the back – it extends beyond freeing up a centre-back by his own corner flag, we’re told – everyone involved has to accept that it comes with a hefty risk.
But Pickford has barely misplaced a pass this summer so no one can take issue with that. Perhaps it is the aesthetics.
In possession, Pickford’s manner is…eye-catching. It can appear exaggerated, even if it’s not. A left-foot pass tends to involve plenty of arms, shoulders and head.
His flair for the dramatic doesn’t detract from the quality. It’s just Pickford’s personality and, crucially, it doesn’t drift into his handling and shot-stopping.
Perhaps because so many understand so little about goalkeeping, they prefer modern keepers to be more reserved characters who exude a quieter authority – like Alisson – the kind who don’t force them to confront their ignorance.
Compared to the likes of Emi Martinez and Gianluigi Donnarumma, these days Pickford is pretty mellow between the adrenaline highs when he occasionally ‘gets the rave on’.
But Pickford has more than exuberance in common with Martinez and Donnarumma. Despite the deficit in honours, he belongs in the same world-class bracket as the World Cup and European Championship winners.
Those with England’s interest at heart should cherish him, not fret over flaws they can’t actually identify.