Ian Wright has criticised Jordan Pickford for allowing his emotions to get the better of him during his side’s 3-2 defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon.
The England number one was fortunate to stay on the pitch after a rash challenge on Salomon Rondon, and appeared to mock the Magpies’ fans when the hosts fell behind.
Speaking on Match of the Day, as quoted in the Chronicle (10.44), Wright suggested that he shouldn’t have let the occasion get to him.
He said: “Jordan Pickford had an erratic game. He got too wrapped up in the emotion of Sunderland versus Newcastle with the home crowd.
“How he didn’t get sent off for the foul on Salomon Rondon is terrible. It was a deliberate attempt to take the man out and there is absolutely no double jeopardy there.
“He was gesturing to the Newcastle fans behind the goal but he should’ve been focusing on the game. He parries the ball back into the danger area far too often and it led to Newcastle’s equaliser.”
OPINION
You can’t help feeling that Pickford got a little swept up in the moment yesterday. Ultimately, it all stemmed from the basic error he made to drop the cross that led to United’s penalty. That kind of fundamental blunder has begun to creep into his game in recent times, and for a goalkeeper who has the potential to be world class, it’s not good enough. More than anything, it looks as if it’s a simple lack of concentration, and that has to change. From that point onwards, the penalty save seemed to amp up the stopper’s adrenaline, and you could almost see him buzzing about his business when his side needed calm and control more than anything else. To let a two goal lead slip like that is unforgivable, and while it wasn’t necessarily Pickford’s fault, he could have done a lot more to help steer his side to a crucial three points. He has to improve soon.