Pickford has won me over – he looks as good as Shilton
J
ORDAN PICKFORD is beginning to remind me of Shilts. He just keeps getting better and better.
I had my doubts about him and he had yet to win me over but he has certainly done that now in terms of his maturity, his instinct and his technique as much as anything else – along with his strong hands tipping the ball over the bar, his distribution and concentration.
When I played in front of Peter Shilton I had to stop everything because I got the biggest rollicking in my life if I let somebody shoot. “Shilts will save that,” I’d think. You just don’t think like that. You’d get such a rocket in your ear.
You are like a dam in front of the flood – if you let even a trickle through your life was simply not worth it.
I saw the same on Saturday. Somebody fired the ball miles over and Pickford was having a right go at the midfield players for letting him have a shot. I can see a lot of Shilton in him and he should take a lot of confidence in that because, behind Gordon Banks, he was our best-ever goalkeeper.
Pickford has taken the criticism that he has received. I don’t think he likes it, but he certainly put it into improved performances.
Sweden was his best England game by far and he made three really good saves. He is proving to be an excellent shot-stopper and his distribution has been excellent. What I was pleased about in Samara more than anything was the clean sheet. You don’t get many of those in a tournament and you get a reputation for being vulnerable and
When I played in front of Peter I couldn’t let anyone shoot or I’d get a rocket
letting goals in. But when teams did get through the defence, Pickford was there and that is very similar to when we had Shilts.
At least he will be reassured by having a back three in front of him rather than a back four. The players make it happen. A lot of preparation, talking and instruction has gone into it but ultimately it is up to the players to make it work.
Having the extra man gives England confidence. The important thing is that Gareth Southgate made his call early. Southgate decided it was the best way to get the most out of his players and they knew they had to conform to that and make it work because that was the way it was going to be in the World Cup. Now you have to say it is giving out a load of confidence, and it is giving England a chance because Croatia are dangerous.
For me, the player of the tournament is Luka Modric. I said that after the group games. He can play as a defensive midfielder or an attacking midfielder.
When Croatia want to play, they can really play. In the quarter-final they went back to the same formation they used in the first game against Nigeria. Andrej Kramaric played in behind Mario Mandzukic and the two wide men, Ante Rebic and Ivan Perisic are very good. The two full-backs come down as well.
The only thing I would say is that sometimes they leave themselves exposed with centre-backs Domagoj Vida and Dejan Lovren.
They push high up and, especially with Raheem Sterling or Jesse Lingard or somebody with pace who can get at them, that is their vulnerability.
It is a different game to the Sweden game and not anything they have seen before. England need to be more cute.
But as much as Croatia can play lovely football, they are still a team England can beat.
Saturday was easily their best game of the tournament. England are improving every time they play because they are together as a band of brothers.
It was not as exciting as the Colombia game but you would take a routine 2-0 win any time in the World Cup knockout stages.
But be careful! We are getting a bit blase about it because we have won two knockout games in a row and suddenly we seem to be convinced we are good at them.