Jordan Pickford looking annoyed for England towards a circle inset of Thomas Tuchel
Jordan Pickford looking annoyed for England towards a circle inset of Thomas Tuchel
The Three Lions exited the World Cup on Wednesday night after defeat to Lionel Messi's side in the semi-final, as the wait for major glory goes on.
Everton's shot-stopper was beaten twice in the 2-1 loss, with both goals coming extremely late, making the defeat feel even more soul-destroying.
Pickford's World Cup campaign can be argued, with some moments proving why he's England's number one, and others showing why it may be time for him to pass the baton if a serious contender emerges.
But the defence that allowed the shots, particularly Enzo Fernandez's effort, also needs to take the blame.
However, the loss is on Thomas Tuchel, and statistics from the game show just how embarrassing the loss truly was.
Jordan Pickford expected assist stat proves Thomas Tuchel's major error
Pickford had some great moments at the World Cup, particularly in the Three Lions' best performance with the 3-2 win over Mexico.
The 32-year-old did start the tournament off a little shaky in the 4-2 win against Croatia, but he thoroughly deserved to start against Argentina; there's no doubt about that.
But where the criticism has come in is when Argentina scored the 85th-minute leveller, with Pickford unable to reach what some believe was a saveable attempt.
However, the negative system Tuchel deployed after Anthony Gordon's goal invited pressure from Lionel Scaloni's side, which ultimately led to the shot that tied the game up.
The problem was that England went far too defensive early on, and stayed deep once Argentina scored their first.
After Lautaro Martinez headed his nation ahead, it was only then that Tuchel gave his team the urgency to go forward with mere minutes left of their World Cup journey.
This then led to an embarrassing statistic to emerge, including Everton's Pickford.
Jordan Pickford generated 0.02 expected assists tonight - the third-highest total of any England player.
— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) July 15, 2026
As highlighted by xG Philosophy on X, Pickford recorded 0.02 expected assists, which was the third-highest of any England player in the match.
This was from his last-minute long ball into the box, something the Three Lions didn't do enough of after they took their foot off the gas at Tuchel's request.
The German head coach needs to be sacked, and this is proof of why.
Why Pickford won't be England's goalkeeper at World Cup 2030
It has been reported that Tuchel has the trust and full backing of the FA following the defeat, which shows the cowardice extends beyond the coaching setup.
Moving forward, there will have to be changes, and one of them could be Pickford.
The former Sunderland man will be 36 by the time the next World Cup comes around, and with promising goalkeepers like Carl Rushworth and James Trafford coming through, he will most likely lose his place.
Goodison News understands that Pickford may retire at Everton, though it's not certain that he will still be playing by the time that the next tournament comes around.
That's not to say he doesn't deserve the number one shirt for England as it stands, more so a prediction of what is likely to happen.