John Aldridge slams ‘loose cannon’ Jordan Pickford ahead of Everton v Liverpool
John Aldridge has slammed Jordan Pickford, describing the Everton goalkeeper as a “loose cannon”, suggesting Liverpool could exploit the England number one.
Sean Dyche takes his side to Anfield on Saturday (21 October) for the first Merseyside derby of the season and the Toffees are looking to build upon their recent good form having won three of their last four matches in all competitions.
Pickford has been an ever-present for Dyche’s side in recent years and arguably kept the Blues in the Premier League last season with his performances, but former Liverpool forward Aldridge believes Jurgen Klopp’s side can try and exploit the 29-year-old.
Writing for the Liverpool Echo on Tuesday (17 October) he said: “With all due respect, we shouldn’t be worrying about Everton. We are far better than them at the moment. With Richarlison no longer at Everton, I am sure we can rely on Jordan Pickford to try and cause a stir on the pitch during Saturday’s match.
“If I was playing, I would be standing on his toes from corners trying to provoke a reaction. He is a good keeper, but a loose cannon. It’s something Liverpool could look to exploit. We’ve seen him involved in altercations on the pitch and you wouldn’t at all be surprised to see it happen again.
“Pickford is one who could thwart us on the day if he has a stormer, like he can do, and could do some real damage. But then you look at the famous Origi goal he let in, that’s what he does sometimes.”
Loose cannon
Pickford isn’t the most loved man in the red half of Merseyside following his tackle that saw Virgil Van Dijk suffer an ACL injury and his natural tendency to attempt to rile up opposition players and fans doesn’t exactly make him a popular figure in Anfield.
But that injury to Van Dijk was years ago and the dreadful momentary lapse of judgement to allow Divock Origi to find a winner was four years ago, so it does seem harsh to be holding those mistakes over his head so long after they happened.
It could be argued that the Toffees number one hasn’t been at his best so far this season as currently, he has conceded 12 goals in the Premier League from only 10.41 xG, suggesting he should have saved more chances than he has done [Fotmob].
But Pickford has been busy due to the defensive frailty of Everton’s backline. However, you would back him to pull off a 90th-minute save to secure a win for Dyche’s side as he thrives off of those huge high-pressure moments as England fans have seen throughout his career.
In other Everton news, 777 Partners have already afforded the Toffees £65 million in loans this season