Jordan Pickford banishes ‘loose cannon’ tag with excellent display for Everton despite Liverpool loss
The Merseyside derby won’t be a fixture remembered fondly by most Everton fans, as the Toffees were incredibly hard done by in defeat at Anfield.
Sean Dyche’s side lost 2-0 on Saturday (21 October) as Mohammed Salah scored twice in the second half, following Ashley Young’s sending off after 37 minutes and while the result was disappointing for the Toffees, defensively their performance with 10 men was excellent.
While Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski threw themselves in front of every shot that came their way, Jordan Pickford also produced an incredibly solid display between the posts that Everton supporters have come to expect in recent years.
The 29-year-old received the joint-highest Sofascore mark of any Everton player with a rating of 7.1 as the England international made four saves, completed two high claims and 13 ball recoveries as Jurgen Klopp’s side attempted 26 efforts on his goal.
There was little Pickford could do for either of the home side’s two goals and he made several excellent saves that kept the Toffees in the game, including an excellent one-handed effort that turned Harvey Elliott’s long-range effort onto his crossbar.
Before the game, John Aldridge [Liverpool Echo, 17 October] admitted that he believed the Everton goalkeeper was a “loose cannon,” saying: “I would be standing on his toes from corners trying to provoke a reaction. 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.”
There was little to no sign of Pickford displaying the attitude that has made many pundits and opposition fans view him as a liability in recent seasons and it has started to feel as though he has finally begun to mature into a more settled figure between the posts.
Hopefully, this is a sign of a consistent change rather than just a flash in the pan of a more relaxed and consistent Pickford, if Everton want to climb their way up the Premier League table this year, they are going to need the England number one at his best.
Had the Toffees had 11 men for the entirety of the match, Pickford’s exploits between the posts could have been the difference between the Blues coming away with an impressive point, or returning to Goodison Park empty-handed.
It is about time that Pickford’s critics pay him a bit more respect as he has been much more consistent than he is afforded credit for, with pundits focusing on mistakes that he made many years ago.
In other Everton news, Jarrad Branthwaite has criticised the standard of refereeing following the Merseyside derby