OPINION
West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady is picking a fight she can’t win by publicly talking about Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
The businesswoman opted to reluctantly praise the 24-year-old keeper for justifying his £30million price tag with his performances this season, before appearing to take a dig at the Toffees.
“Pickford escaped Sunderland to join Everton last summer and has proved worthy of the £30million fee,” wrote Brady in her column for The Sun.
“In goalkeeping terms he has hardly worn out his first pair of gloves and has yet to experience the extreme sin of making a mistake in a team of high expectations.”
The Toffees signed Pickford from Sunderland in a club-record deal by paying £30million, as reported by Sky Sports, for his services last summer.
In his debut season at Goodison Park, the 24-year-old has been one of the club’s only positives, in what has been at disappointing season, by consistently impressing in the 43 appearances he has made.
While Brady appears to compliment Pickford for his season, her claim that he has yet to experience the extreme sin of making a mistake in a team with high expectations is unfounded.
The 24-year-old may not have blundered his way through the season like Hammers’ goalkeeper Joe Hart, but he has made mistakes during the current campaign.
It’s only natural that is the case, so Brady seems to imply that he is making mistakes for a team with low expectations.
However she is wrong, success was expected from the Toffees this season as the the side not only spent heavily in the transfer window, but were featuring in the Europa League.
Every player was under the microscope, no more so then Pickford, whose £30million signing had raised eyebrows due to the huge figure being spent.
If Brady is really withholding praise for the 24-year-old, because he hasn’t made enough mistakes or is not featuring for a side with huge ambitions, then she is clearly making these comments out of jealously.
The Hammers signed goalkeeper Joe Hart on loan from Manchester City in the summer, and he has done nothing but cost his side vital points in the 23 times he has featured.
Brady knows her club would have been successful if Pickford had been between the sticks at the London Stadium instead of Hart.
Therefore it seems the Hammers vice-chairman has resulted to taking an unfounded dig at the Toffees as she is jealous that Pickford is not a Hammers player.