Everton are on fire but they will crash & burn with Pickford in goal

EVERTON are on fire. They have won their first seven games in all competitions and have secured their best start to a season since 1894.

They have a world-class manager, top players, a couple of England’s most promising young talents, an owner with deep pockets and a state-of-the-art new stadium under construction.

Despite the huge successes of the red half of Merseyside, there are many reasons for the Blues to be very cheerful.

There is one thing Everton are missing, though, and it could prevent them realising their dream of a top-four finish – they don’t have a top goalkeeper. At the 2018 World Cup, Jordan Pickford put in some excellent performances for England and was lauded as one of game’s best.

But since then, he has been error-prone and Everton look nervous whenever he has to collect a cross, make a punch or even get a strong hand on a low, long-distance shot.

Saturday’s latest howler saw Pickford drop a simple catch to the feet of Brighton’s Neal Maupay, who scored (above).

It was his fourth error of the season leading to a shot, three of which led to a goal.

Former Everton No.1 Tim Howard, who himself wasn’t the most consistent keeper, summed up the situation when he was asked whether he rated Pickford.

“I did,” he said, “Once the mistakes creep in, there’s nothing you can do.”

The jury has been out on Pickford for a while but they seem to have returned the verdict that he is a liability.

While his mistakes this season haven’t yet cost Everton points, his next error could be a different story.

In a campaign with so many teams scrapping it out for Champions League spots, can Everton really afford to keep gambling on him? They need to be proactive rather than reactive and should look to bring in another goalkeeping option.

In February, after Pickford allowed Christian Benteke in to gift Crystal Palace a goal, he complained England players were treated more harshly by pundits.

“They want to come for England players. Everyone gets stick,” he said.

“That’s part of being an England player. Everyone hates you for some reason.” I think the opposite is true. Pickford has benefited from the ‘England’s No.1’ tag as people fondly recall his performances from a few summers ago.

Goalkeepers who have made a similar amount or fewer errors, such as Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga, have been dropped.

It will be up to Gareth Southgate whether Pickford will continue to guard England’s net. If not, it could be a slippery slope for him.

It’s less than three years since Joe Hart was England’s No.1 and Pickford sadly seems to be treading a similar path.