Jordan Pickford deserved to be screamed at in Everton draw with Tottenham – Ball
Jordan Pickford was “very poor” with his kicking in the 2-2 Everton draw with Tottenham and teammates need to tell him when he isn’t good enough, according to Michael Ball.
The former Toffees defender said in his Liverpool Echo column on 6 February that, despite some vital saves, the England number one put his own team under pressure on a number of occasions with erratic kicks on 3 February and “it’s not good enough”.
And while Ball has no problem with Pickford shouting at his teammates if they don’t play up to standard he would like to see senior players such as James Tarkowski or Dominic Calvert-Lewin doing the same back if necessary.
He said: “We had to rely on three fantastic saves from Pickford in one-versus-one situations – including one which he didn’t know was offside – that’s what he does best, his shot-stopping is second to none and that’s why he’s England’s number one but I felt he had a very poor game in terms of putting us under pressure when there was no need to.
“Yes we can all have off days and Jordan likes to tell his team-mates when they do something wrong but I don’t see anyone saying anything to Jordan when he makes a mistake. Some people don’t think it’s a good look when they see Jordan shouting and screaming at his team-mates but it doesn’t bother me.
“He made the wrong decisions with his kicking and puts us under pressure. The way Sean Dyche sets up, wanting us to be compact, it’s really important for Jordan to get his kicks right…
“Yes, he’s capable of picking a pass but if I look at my kicking and I’m only getting one out of 10 where I want it, I’m doing something wrong. It’s not good enough…
“It looked to me like Jordan was too busy blaming the pitch or turning to the bench or the fans to apologise but it started in the first half and didn’t get any better after the break. I’d like to see a bit of attitude from the captain James Tarkowski or other Everton players like Dom to ask him what he’s doing – scream and shout back at Jordan and see how he likes it.
“It’s not to demean him, it’s to get the best out of him. I understand that some players can’t take it but others can.”
Pickford dishes it out so must take it for Everton
The Toffees keeper bellowing at his teammates might be infuriating to them at the time but top level players should demand the best from each other.
It is only fair if he is in line for the same treatment if the occasion calls for it, so others should absolutely take the opportunity to give him some back if necessary and he needs to be prepared to take it.
As Ball admits, Pickford’s shot stopping played a big part in Everton leaving Goodison Park at the weekend with a point, but if he was causing his own side issues in other ways it somewhat undercuts it.
The 29-year-old seems to be a lightning rod for criticism from some quarters but on the whole is a major asset to Sean Dyche and Everton.
The manager and his staff will need to pick up on the kicking issue if it is becoming a habit, but on the pitch during a game the players can point it out and the likes of Tarkowski seem capable of doing so.
Jarrad Branthwaite’s 94th minute equaliser saw the game finish level in a heated atmosphere at Goodison, as the Toffees ultimately showed the sort of fight they will need plenty more of over the rest of the campaign.
In other Everton news, the club won’t see the entirety of an agreed payment any more after what happened in the past week.
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