Pickford – not Hart – needs to face top teams
JOE HART will start in goal against Brazil tonight. ‘Jordan Pickford had an excellent game against Germany,’ said England manager Gareth Southgate. ‘Now there is an opportunity for Joe to have experience against top opposition as well.’ Except Hart has already had 74 opportunities and in that time he has played three games against Spain and Italy, two against France, Germany and Brazil, plus other fixtures against Holland, Belgium, Uruguay and Portugal. Pickford has had one game, and might be the better option on current form, as the young Hart could have been at the World Cup in 2010. Fabio Capello wouldn’t play him, however, because he did not have enough experience against big teams in big matches.