New coach Thomas Tuchel named four goalkeepers in his first England squad. So is Jordan Pickford’s spot under threat? Here’s my prediction
Six camps, 21 training days, eight qualifying games.
Thomas Tuchel has impressed upon the England players he met for the first time this week how little time he has to turn them into World Cup winners.
This first camp, with home games against Albania and Latvia, will offer early signs of his ideas, who he has taken a shine to, who fits his direct, aggressive style of football, what shape he believes a World Cup-winning team must take.
When Tuchel was first announced as England’s new manager last October, Jordan Pickford’s place as the country’s No 1, a position he held for eight years under Gareth Southgate, and earned him 73 caps, appeared most at risk.
All of Tuchel’s club line-ups have required goalkeepers that are good with their feet, confident passers, composed on the ball. Pickford, 31, has many strengths as a goalkeeper, but if you had to name a weaker side it would be that.
Tuchel is keeping his options open with his first look at the squad.
Four keepers were called up, including Crystal Palace’s Dean Henderson, Southampton’s Aaron Ramsdale and the intriguing selection of James Trafford, a young goalkeeper whose clean sheets are practically carrying Burnley to Championship promotion.
Of all the goalkeepers, Trafford, 22, is the least experienced, but, schooled at Manchester City’s academy where he worked with Pep Guardiola, is by far the best with his feet and most suited to Tuchel’s system.
But if Pickford is feeling the pressure, one of the most unflappable personalities in the game has given no indication of it.
“It’s about stepping your foot on the gas early doors as a player and showing them what you can do,” Pickford said.
“We’ve got a new goalkeeper coach in Hilario. There’s going to be change. Hilario will have his own ideas as a goalkeeping coach.”
England boss Thomas Tuchel is keeping his options open (Photo: Getty)
Southgate always stuck by Pickford, even though his decision to stay at Everton has thrust him into Premier League relegation battles, rather than games in football’s marquee tournaments and finals.
“The last few years have been difficult,” he admitted.
But things are looking up since David Moyes returned to Everton in January and guided them well clear of relegation.
Will Tuchel be as forgiving, or as loyal, as Southgate if things take a turn for the worse?
“When you dissect it down there isn’t much training time,” Pickford explained.
“It’s about what you do at your club, you’ve got to perform at your club, be in good form and when you get picked for England each camp you’ve got to show how good you are and be at your best.
“It’s about learning as well. You’ve always got to learn on the training pitch with this new manager coming in and the staff there’s going to be different ideas, we’ve got to take it on board.”
As Pickford spoke, it sounded like a guidebook for rivals eager to take his place.
And Trafford insisted he isn’t here only to work as a ball boy in training sessions.
“I believe I can play in the way [Tuchel] wants to play,” Trafford said.
“But no one’s here to make numbers up, everyone’s here to challenge and that goes for anyone in the squad. I’m here to challenge as much as anyone else is.
“I like having the ball at my feet. I’m comfortable with it. If they want to play, it’ll be good.”
Burnley are third in the Championship – only two points behind Leeds United and Sheffield United in the top two qualification places.
For Trafford to stand a chance of prising the shirt from Pickford’s sturdy fingers you would think he would need to be playing in the Premier League
That could come via promotion, or a transfer, and he is in demand. Trafford revealed “it was a possibility” he joined Newcastle last summer.
“I’m not naive about the aspect that over history, if you’re playing in the Premier League, you’ve got a better chance,” he said.
“But this season, knowing that I was going to be in the Championship, I knew I needed to give it my best shot, and try and show, and try and put myself in the best position to get called up for the senior squad.
“But I’m not naive about the fact that playing in the Premier League gives you a better chance.
‘We’re all very close as a goalkeeping union’
“Nobody has said ‘you’re going to play X, Y and Z’, or ‘you’re not going to play X Y and Z’. It’s just everyone’s challenging. Whenever we train, we all give it our best and we all push each other as much as we can and whoever the manager picks, he picks.
“But we’re all very close as a goalkeeping union and we just want to push each other because it makes the environment miles better when we all get along and have the same interests, so we always push each other and whoever the manager picks, he picks.”
Verdict: 18 months too soon for Trafford
Until Tuchel outlined his plan for England to win the World Cup discussing his first squad at Wembley, I thought Pickford’s days were numbered. He isn’t an ideal goalkeeper for Tuchel’s system.
But Tuchel made a big thing about wanting experienced players in his squad, wanting winners, those confident, assured players around the camp and on the pitch. It was, he said, why he gave a surprise call-up to Jordan Henderson.
Pickford has that personality in spades.
He has been prone to a mistake, but he seems to be immune to doubt, his head never drops and he is one of the loudest, most vocal players on any pitch.
Neither Henderson or Ramsdale offer much of a step up from Pickford when it comes to using their feet.
If his career continues on the same trajectory, Trafford is probably England’s future, beyond USA 2026, and he will learn a great deal being part of the camps, but 18 months feels a touch too soon.