Tony Cascarino has been left stunned by Jordan Pickford’s post-match interview after his calamitous display in Everton’s weekend defeat to Newcastle United.
The pundit and former couldn’t believe the England number one claim he has no intention to change his ways following a series of errors that left many questioning his club and international place.
“Pickford has had an indifferent season for Everton and his No 1 spot for England must be up for grabs,” Cascarino told the Times. “The Everton man is too intense. Defenders like their goalkeepers to be calm and not get too caught up in the emotion of the game, but Pickford seems so angry — he clenches his fists and goads his team.
“He is a hothead who makes a brilliant save now and again that gets him out of trouble.
“I don’t like his post-match interviews either — he holds his hands up and says, “I’ve made a mistake, but so be it, that’s the way I play,” then he does the same thing again. I find that extraordinary. He needs to take things on board and learn.”
OPINION
Some Everton fans will claim pundits and critics are picking on Jordan. But they will know deep down the 25-year-old is not the rock-solid number one they need him to be. He is leaving himself open to criticism with his conduct, which was ridiculously over-the-top against Newcastle on Saturday. Certainly, the Geordie’s Sunderland connections made him a target for the boo boys, but the player should have ignored them and not resorted to provocative and counter-productive gesturing and fist-pumping. He worked himself into a lather and it appeared to effect his judgement and decision-making. The match officials got it badly wrong by not sending him off for rugby-tackling Salomon Rondon in the penalty area. Newcastle were rightly fuming the England international was able to stay on the pitch and make the save that stopped them going a goal up.