Ian Wright has blasted Jordan Pickford for a lack of concentration, suggesting that the goalkeeper’s emotions cost his side Saturday’s game against Newcastle United.
The Everton stopper has come in for a raft of criticism in the aftermath of his erratic performance, and Match of the Day pundit Wright was the latest to question his display.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, he said: “His concentration has to be better for me. We know he makes mistakes, and I think he makes mistakes because his concentration’s bad, and that is something that he’s going to have to deal with.
“It doesn’t matter how old you are, your concentration levels should be a lot better. I watched the game the other day. He got absolutely wrapped up in the whole Newcastle – Sunderland situation, to the point where he was talking to people behind the goal, making faces.
“I feel that he actually cost them the game, without a shadow of a doubt.”
“Pickford’s concentration has to be better”@IanWright0 says the Everton and England keeper needs to improve his focus on the pitch. pic.twitter.com/0Cnf6LH3mN
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) March 11, 2019
OPINION
Wright is just the latest in a long line of pundits who have questioned Pickford for Saturday’s performance, and rightly so. Evidently, playing at St. James’ Park as a Sunderland lad born and bred was huge deal for the 25-year-old, but when it comes down to it, as a professional footballer, you have to be able to put your personal rivalries aside and focus on the task at hand. Unfortunately for Pickford, he was unable to do that at the weekend, and he paid the price. There’s probably an argument to made that he could have done better on either one of the first two Newcastle goals, but it was the penalty incident that was most disappointing. The tackle on Rondon is bad, arguably bad enough to warrant a dismissal, but it’s the manner in which he misread the cross in the first place that was most worrying. From an innocuous situation that any top flight goalkeeper should deal with easily, Pickford managed to put his side under undue pressure, and could have been sent off in the process. He has to improve, and quickly.