Robinson: Pickford has ‘got stronger’ without crowds in grounds
Paul Robinson believes that the lack of crowds in the Premier League this season has helped Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford get even better.
The Everton shot-stopper – on a reported £100k-a-week – had been enjoying a purple patch of form before an injury against Burnley last month would rule him out of action for the time being.
Carlo Ancelotti signed Roma goalkeeper Robin Olsen in the summer to compete with Pickford, and the England international appeared to be thriving with the added pressure.
However, Robinson, who played 41 times for the Three Lions, believes that having no crowds at games has helped Pickford gain some confidence.
Talking to Sky Sports about Pickford, Robinson said: “His confidence has got better and he’s got stronger.
“Since the last international break, since Gareth Southgate gave him the vote of confidence, he’s been able to be himself a lot more and I think he’s played better.
“We’ve talked about crowds affecting football and football fans are the heartbeat of games, they do affect teams and they do affect games, but in a certain way they affect goalkeepers more because they’re so close to you.
“I think for one player this season, for not having fans in stadiums, Jordan Pickford has benefited from that because it is difficult. It’s mentally very, very hard.”
Contributing factor
Pickford certainly appears to have regained some of his confidence this season, and that can only benefit Everton in the long-run.
Goodison Park can be quite the intimidating place for clubs to come and play, but when Everton aren’t playing so well themselves the Grand Old Lady can be just as difficult a place to come for the home side.
Without fans this season Pickford has been allowed time and patience to grow, and with Olsen pushing him in training he has undeniably improved his shot-stopping ability, while he also has more control somewhat over his erratic nature.
It remains to be seen whether that will be enough though, with Ancelotti’s rotation of his goalkeeping options suggesting to us that he isn’t exactly sold on either player as his long-term first-choice.
Should Pickford retain his starting spot for England this summer, the goalkeeper has a golden opportunity to really show his worth over the next few months to ensure he remains Everton’s first choice for the foreseeable future.
In other Everton news, Everton reportedly make move for 20y/o forward available for £8.5m.
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