Everton fans fume over Pickford errors in their Cup win over Fleetwood
Liverpool, Thursday
Jordan Pickford was back in the spotlight after making two high-profile errors in Everton’s Carabao Cup victory over Fleetwood, just two days before they face high flying Crystal Palace in a English Premier League due to be aired live on K24 television from 5pm tomorrow.
The goalkeeper was at fault for both the hosts’ goals, first dithering over a clearance which was eventually charged down for Mark Duffy to make it 2-1 and then changing his mind over a cross and failing to keep out Callum Camps’ overhead kick straight at him for 3-2.
Goals from Bernard and Michael Keane spared the shot-stopper’s blushes but Everton fans aired their frustrations on Twitter, with some fans calling for Carlo Ancelotti to find a new No1.
One supporter wrote: ‘Jordan Pickford is going to cost Everton so many goals this season. Ancelotti needs to replace him ASAP.’
Another added: ‘Don’t think we’ll be able to bring in a top keeper this window but next summer we need a new top class GK Jordan Pickford man.’
But Ancelotti refused to blame the England international for the first goal, instead claiming the goalkeeper had been put in a difficult position by his team-mates.
‘I think the first goal it was not any individual mistakes, we passed the ball back to Jordan and it was a really difficult ball,’ said the Everton boss.
‘We could have behaved differently, so we didn’t do that well. Of course you have to improve there.
‘You want to build up from the back but when there is not risk. If it is risky it is not good, we can concede a goal like we did tonight and it is a good lesson for the future.
‘I didn’t speak to him (Pickford).
I have to speak with the players that were involved when we were building up. He was not the only one, Jordan.’
But some fans were less forgiving than the Italian, with one tweeting: ‘If Jordan Pickford was a fisherman he still wouldn’t catch anything.’
Another on-looker wrote: ‘Everton seem to have brought in some very good players this transfer market, pity Jordan Pickford will undo all their good work.’
A brace from Richarlison and goals from Alex Iwobi, Bernard and Michael Keane set up a fourth-round tie with West Ham and Fleetwood boss Joey Barton highlighted the gulf in class between the Premier League outfit and his League One side.
‘We had a 18-year-old, a 19-year-old and a 21-year-old at centre-back. We never had any ball but we knew that would be the case,’ he said.
‘We then gave them a goal and they got the second goal. We adjusted at half-time, brought Duffy on and then we got a gift by closing the keeper down.
‘Then we shoot ourselves in the foot by conceding in a few minutes and then we got back into it again - but they have the quality to pick you off on the counter.
‘I am pleased we made it into a cup tie because at half-time it looked like being a long 45 minutes.’
On Everton fielding a strong side, Barton added: ‘I am delighted with that because it shows Everton are taking the competition seriously.
‘It pays us enormous respect that they turned up and played in the correct manner, especially when you look at the gulf in class at both clubs. 5-2 probably flatters them at the end but they were way above us tonight.’ -Dailymail
