{"id":544732,"date":"2020-03-02T15:38:19","date_gmt":"2020-03-02T20:38:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonfootball.com\/?p=544732"},"modified":"2020-03-02T15:41:58","modified_gmt":"2020-03-02T20:41:58","slug":"gareth-southgate-cannot-faith-jordan-pickford","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2020\/03\/02\/gareth-southgate-cannot-faith-jordan-pickford\/","title":{"rendered":"Gareth Southgate Cannot Keep Faith in Jordan Pickford"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jordan Pickford<\/a> made another individual error for Everton<\/a> in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United<\/a> yesterday.<\/p>\n

The England<\/a> goalkeeper has 24 senior caps for his country, but struggled for form this season and kept just six clean sheets in 29 matches.<\/p>\n

With Euro 2020 only three months away, Pickford faces a crucial period to hold on to the number one shirt for his country.<\/p>\n

So far, Gareth Southgate<\/a>, who was in attendance at Goodison Park yesterday, placed faith in the 25-year-old shot-stopper, but the former Sunderland<\/a> player’s dip in form and the good form of other English keepers suggest that Southgate may drop Pickford as his number one this summer.<\/p>\n

Jordan Pickford Could Be Dropped By Gareth Southgate<\/h2>\n

Individual Errors<\/h3>\n

Pickford’s error yesterday against Manchester United was the 25-year-old’s third of the season which led directly to a goal. Only Newcastle<\/a> keeper Martin Dubravka<\/a> has made more errors (four).<\/p>\n

The former Sunderland stopper let a 24-yard shot from Bruno Fernandes<\/a> under his body, which should have been saved easily.<\/p>\n

However, Pickford’s errors were apparent last season too as he conceded four goals which came from his direct errors; the second-most in the Premier League during 2018\/19<\/p>\n

The shot-stopper faced criticism from pundits and fans after yesterday’s performance. Some labelled Pickford a liability<\/a>, while former United skipper Roy Keane questioned the keeper’s ability<\/a> at full-time. With Southgate watching from the stands, it was an ill-timed mistake from the 25-year-old keeper.<\/p>\n

Three More Deserving Goalkeepers<\/h3>\n

The upcoming England friendlies against Italy and Denmark later this month may give some indication about who Southgate’s first-choice keeper will be at the Euros.<\/p>\n

If the England boss persists with Jordan Pickford, there will be three English goalkeepers who will feel aggrieved by the situation.<\/p>\n

Burnley’s Nick Pope kept 11 clean sheets in 28 Premier League appearances this season, the most in the league. Pope also made more saves than any other English keeper with 88.<\/p>\n

Dean Henderson<\/a> and Watford’s<\/a> Ben Foster<\/a> kept nine each in 26 and 28 appearances respectively. Both also made just one error leading to goals earlier in the season. Twenty-two-year-old Henderson let Georginio Wijnaldum\u2019s shot underneath him in September during Sheffield United’s<\/a> loss to Liverpool<\/a>\u00a0but has looked confident ever since, while Foster could provide some valuable experience amongst a group of younger keepers at the Euros.<\/p>\n

Southgate has a history of loyalty to players, but with a number of strong contenders performing consistently in the Premier League, it would be unfair to stick with Jordan Pickford unless his form improves dramatically.<\/p>\n

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Main Photo<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a>