Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and (inset) Alan Pardew dancing at Wembley
Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and (inset) Alan Pardew dancing at Wembley
Another day, another Jordan Pickford slur from one of the usual suspects.
Alan Pardew has somehow produced a more cringe-worthy moment than his embarrassing Wembley touchline dance routine by saying that the Everton hero should be axed by England for next year’s World Cup finals. Unlike Pardew’s Crystal Palace side, who blew their lead that inspired his awkward moves, with Jason Puncheon’s goal being cancelled out just three minutes later by Juan Mata before Manchester United triumphed in the 2016 FA Cup final after extra time, Pickford has always delivered on the big occasion.
Ahead of David Seaman and Joe Hart, the 31-year-old has now played 76 times now for England and is second only to Peter Shilton – their most-capped player of all-time – when it comes to goalkeepers representing the Three Lions. In all of this lengthy tenure, he officially hasn’t been at fault for conceding a single goal in a competitive match according to statisticians with Opta deeming that the only such mistake came on his 60th appearance on March 24 2024, in a friendly against Belgium.
As this correspondent observed little over 24 hours previously, the baseless nitpicking and skewed agendas, which both Neville Southall and the late Kevin Campbell dubbed “a witch hunt”, somehow continue. For some reason, many in the national media seem to have it in for the Everton goalkeeper.
Is it – with echoes of Paul Gascoigne – down to where he comes from and some kind of class or regional snobbery? Those in the Home Counties hate to see a chippy Northerner doing well, especially one who plies his trade in Merseyside, and not even playing for Liverpool with their huge global fanbase, but those legions of Scouse fans at Everton?
This city has always been fiercely independent when it comes to falling in line with the rest of the country and marching to the beat of the capital’s drum.
As the compere at a Liverpool Press Club dinner once quipped at the Adelphi Hotel:
“In Birmingham they consider the Birmingham Press Club to be second in the country.
“In Glasgow they consider the Glasgow Press Club to be second in the country.
“In Manchester they consider the Manchester Press Club to be second in the country.
“In Liverpool they consider the London Press Club to be second in the country.”
And don't you forget it.
Pickford, who has already broken Shilton’s record for the most clean sheets for an England goalkeeper in major tournaments. Unlike Shilton, who unfortunately didn’t get close to any of West Germany’s efforts at Italia ‘90 as Bobby Robson’s side missed out on a place in the World Cup final, Pickford has saved at least one penalty in each of four shoot-outs with England, including two in the European Championship final against Italy in 2021 and he even scored the pressure fifth kick in a 6-5 victory over Switzerland in 2019.
When it really mattered, in last year’s European Championship final, the Everton ace produced an outstanding display that almost held a rampant Spain side at bay, ensuring it wasn’t fiesta time for his opponents long before the final whistle. Either side of substitute Cole Palmer’s equaliser, Pickford was like a bouncer on a nightclub door as he twice denied entry to Spain’s 17-year-old wonderkid Lamine Yamal who had teed up the opener while also punching away several dangerous crosses with his side under the cosh.
Yet, , the same network that handed Pickford a 3/10 rating against Andorra for “failing to do anything special with the ball at his feet,” when he didn’t have a save to make in a 1-0 win (are we spotting a theme here?) – Pardew insisted he only has three definite starters for next summer’s tournament in North America: Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice.
Asked about Pickford, who has been undisputed England number one for over seven-and-a-half years, Pardew said: “Not for me, not in this World Cup.
“He’s had a great spell with England, he really has but there’s been moments in his Premier League career where I worry about him and he’s never really brought that to the England team, fair enough.
“He might well be starting for England in the World Cup, but he’s not nailed on for me. He’s got a big year in front of him.”
Those are all words in the English language, but put together, this correspondent really struggles to grasp where those statements were going from Pardew. Despite all his flip-flopping, suggesting that Pickford should be left on the beach as the Three Lions look to end 60 years of hurt, is downright insulting given all he has done for both club and country.
But should we really expect any better from Pardew? He is of course the one-season wonder who in 2012 had the gall to suggest his Newcastle United side “operate in a different league” to Everton when they finished fifth, some two places above David Moyes’ side, yet the following year, Moyes’ men came sixth and Pardew’s Magpies were 16th on 41 points.
Now Everton, who have spent more seasons in the top flight than any other English club, and Pardew really are operating in a different league.
Although the Wimbledon-born gaffer is less than a year older than Moyes, who has taken charge of more games in the Premier League than any other manager after Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, he hasn’t been trusted with a post in the competition since he was axed by West Bromwich Albion when they were bottom of the table in 2018.
Since then, Pardew has bounced around with an eight-game stint at Dutch club ADO Dena Haag and then a seven-match tenure at Bulgarians CSKA Sofia before his most recent port of call being with Greek side Aris. As Cockneys would say, it now sounds like Pardew is talking out of his.