Speaking recently on the Football Writers Podcast, Michael Calvin discussed Everton’s Jordan Pickford, suggesting that the goalkeeper’s recent form has left Carlo Ancelotti with a ‘decision to make’ about the player.
Everton have enjoyed a fine start to their 2020/21 campaign, sitting top of the Premier League table after five games played, having won four matches and drawn one, with the draw coming against their Merseyside rivals and reigning Premier League champions, Liverpool.
However, despite the club’s impressive form, one player who has struggled so far this season has been the Toffees’ goalkeeper, Pickford.
Over the club’s five Premier League fixtures, the £23.4 million-rated 26-year-old has conceded seven goals and kept just one clean sheet, with the ‘keeper averaging a disappointing WhoScored match rating of 6.37 – ranking him as the club’s sixth-worst performer in the league.
And, Pickford’s form was one topic of conversation on a recent episode of the Football Writers Podcast, in which Calvin discussed some of the thoughts of former footballer and current journalist David Preece regarding the England international.
He said: “I thought it was really interesting, Dave Preece – and he is a big supporter of Pickford – saying, ‘it’s not just the mistakes, his decision-making is off, and that leads to hesitancy and bad positioning’. [So he’s] pretty much saying [that] Ancelotti has got a decision to make.”
Do you think Pickford is good enough to be Everton's number one?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts on Michael Calvin’s comments regarding Jordan Pickford…
From Calvin’s comments, while the journalist is relaying the quotes of Preece, it is clear the message is that the Everton manager has a decision to make regarding whether or not he sticks with Pickford going forward.
And, considering Ancelotti brought in Robin Olsen on a season-long loan from Serie A side AS Roma over the summer transfer window, it would seem as if the Italian does have a viable option to replace Pickford, should he want to, at his disposal in the squad.