Fans of Everton have been slating the Toffees’ English goalkeeper Jordan Pickford after the club released training footage on Twitter.
On Sunday, the Goodison Park club posted behind-the-scenes footage from USM Finch Farm which showed a shooting drill (per Everton).
In the footage, a number of efforts from distance fly past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. The club’s official account captioned this footage by stating: ‘STRIIIIKKEEES!’.
The session was a part of the Toffees’ return to contact training after Premier League shareholders voted in favour of it on Wednesday last week (per Everton).
A day after the announcement on contract training, it was revealed in a further statement that 17th June has been set as a ‘provisional restart date’ for England’s top-flight (per Everton).
With the matches on the 17th being Aston Villa vs Sheffield United and Manchester City vs Arsenal, the Toffees will return to action over the following weekend.
However, despite the goalkeeper in the training footage not clearly being Pickford, lots of fans assumed that it was and ripped into the English stopper.
STRIIIIKKEEES! ?
…And there's plenty more to see as #EFC resume contact training ?
— Everton (@Everton) May 31, 2020
Pickfords arms not grown in lockdown then?
— James Christopher (@j_christopher91) May 31, 2020
Please say that isn’t Pickford in goal? He’s not even smelling them shots ?????
— Stoveytheblue71 (@stoveytheblue71) May 31, 2020
In the Premier League this season, the 26-year-old goalkeeper has kept a paltry six clean sheets in 29 league outings, having also conceded 46 goals (per Transfermarkt).
Pickitoutthenetford
— Craig (@MrBobHallis) May 31, 2020
We need a better keeper…
— Bainesinho ?? (@flatoffee) May 31, 2020
Should the Toffees be looking to bring in a new goalkeeper in the summer?No, Pickford is good enough for usYes, Pickford's not good enough |
Furthermore, Pickford’s average rating for the season so far has been as equally uninspiring as his clean sheets record has, with the stopper on a 6.35/10 average rating in the league (per WhoScored).
With the rating making the ‘keeper the sixth-worst performer for the Toffees in the league, supporters continued airing their dissatisfaction.
Keeper showing terrific social distancing from the ball there…??
— BiggyRat (@BiggyRat) May 31, 2020
While many slated the English international, one supporter looked to defend the Toffees’ number one.
Not sure if people are joking, or if they don’t understand editing, but Everton could have released a vid entirely of Pickford’s saves.
— Van_Der_Yes (@Van_Der_Yes) May 31, 2020
As can be seen in most of the responses from Everton fans, though, many slated Pickford after what they perceived was a lacklustre ‘keeping performance in training.