Jude Bellingham’s actions deep into extra time spoke volumes, as Everton’s Jordan Pickford outperformed Gareth Southgate’s favourites. English fans, particularly Evertonians, have never given Gareth Southgate any freedom since he announced his Euro 2024 squad. Despite Jordan Pickford’s appearance, Jarrad Branthwaite’s absence was widely regarded as a significant error. This is not the first major absence of Everton players from the national team, and it will not be the last, but fortunately, one event occurred only yesterday that demonstrated how essential Everton assets might and still are to England.
Everton’s Jordan Pickford excels for England again. Despite the instability caused by Southgate’s ponderous brand of football, with the front four naturally garnering criticism, Pickford remains a steady and consistent defender. That attacking unit deserves criticism, as does the manager, for failing to devise a method to get the Bundesliga top scorer, the La Liga player of the season, the Premier League player of the season, and Bukayo Saka, who contributed 34 goals last season, all firing.
They are lucky that, despite their lack of firepower and fluency, Pickford and his defence have held firm thus far in the tournament, surrendering only two goals in four games. And, while it is commonly acknowledged that more will be required to prolong their run in the competition, with Everton’s shot-stopper in goal, they always have a chance. After all, Pickford has already made England history this tournament, and he might do so again with a streak of strong performances as they progress through the competition. However, if anyone could sum up the 30-year-old’s value to the team, it was Jude Bellingham, who said it all as Everton’s Pickford outperformed Southgate’s favourites.
Bellingham says it all: Pickford outshines Southgate’s favourites. After scoring once against Serbia, once against Denmark, and failing to break down a tenacious Slovenian defense, there was hope that Southgate would set his strikers loose in their Round of 16 match. Or, at the very least, freshen it up, given how unimpressive Harry Kane has been, how anonymous Phil Foden remains, and how little Saka has contributed throughout. Meanwhile, young and ambitious talents such as Eberechi Eze, Anthony Gordon, and Cole Palmer waited anxiously for their opportunity to shine, but it did not come until late in the match.
By that point, it appeared too late for England, who had fallen down due to a disastrous piece of defending that allowed Ivan Schranz to poke past Pickford from close range. There was nothing he could have done, but after that, he delivered a truly professional performance. Coming to claim many high balls, where he had been chastised for punching in previous matches, he relieved a lot of strain on a backline that looked ragged throughout the game. And, when Bellingham stood up in the 94th minute to equalize in astonishing fashion, it appeared that only one champion could emerge. But it all started in the 101st minute, when Pickford came out to make another easy catch for him.
The pressure from Slovakia was increasing, and there were fears that another collapse was on the way. When the ball was snatched from the heavens, Bellingham strode across the pitch to embrace his goalie. It was a moment that stated everything: ‘we needed that’. Pickford may not create headlines for England, but he is a consistent stalwart and one of the few bright spots on a faltering team.
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