Sky Sports pundit Danny Mills has suggested Jordan Pickford may have an uncertain future at Goodison Park under new Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti.
Pickford has started each of our Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup matches this season without missing a minute of the action, as well as keeping eight clean sheets in all competitions.
He received his first yellow card of the league campaign on Saturday as we beat Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0, having talked his way into referee David Coote’s book deep into stoppage-time.
Pickford’s occasional hot-headedness has left Mills feeling that Ancelotti may soon want to replace him between the sticks, as the Italian may not put up with the antics that Marco Silva forgave the 24-cap England international for in the past.
“He has rash moments, I think that is the problem,” Mills told Football Insider.
“I guess being a goalkeeper is all about temperament, can you stay calm under pressure? Can you settle everyone down?
“It’s not really his forte is it? He is a very good goalkeeper but he does have these moments of rashness, he gets a bit too emotional at times, and that’s not what every manager wants.
“Their back-up keeper is okay – we’ve seen it where [Claudio] Bravo came in at Man City, you thought ‘oh wow, what a signing’, but it turned out not to be good enough for [Pep] Guardiola.
“That’s why managers have different opinions and that’s why we love the game as it is, as every manager has a different take.”
Should Ancelotti target a replacement for Pickford?
Yes
No
It is a sign of Pickford learning from his past errors that he has received so few cautions this season, having admitted earlier in the term that he would need to avoid biting any bait after crumbling at Newcastle United last March.
The jibes from the Toon faithful for Pickford’s Sunderland routes led the ‘keeper to snap back at the grandstands, and he was luck to avoid a red card for a spearing challenge on Salomon Rondon that gifted the hosts’ a penalty.
But while Mills is unsure whether Ancelotti will look to make a change in goal at Goodison Park now that he is in charge, the boss himself has refuted speculation that he has instructed club chiefs to sign a new goalkeeper.
It was alleged following our defeat to Liverpool in the FA Cup that Pickford’s time with the Toffees could be nearing its end, though Ancelotti feels the England number one is a great option for us to have.
“I read that I’m looking for a goalkeeper, this is not true,” said the Italian via quotes by Sky Sports. “I have a great goalkeeper, who is the goalkeeper of the national team.”
In other Everton news, a £6million player is ‘close’ to securing a deal to leave Goodison Park this month.