Pundit Lee Dixon was left unimpressed by Everton shot-stopper Jordan Pickford while away on international duty.
The Three Lions dropped their first points of the World Cup qualifiers following the stalemate against Poland in a 1-1 draw on away soil.
Pickford was relatively untested during the clash, facing just 4 shots on target, but endured a near-miss and was almost left egg-faced when he presented a chance to Poland.
Some loose play at the back caused a blocked clearance to rebound, forcing Pickford to scramble back.
The Everton and England no. 1 then conceded a late equaliser with substitute Damian Szymanski rising past Luke Shaw after a perfectly delivered cross from Robert Lewandowski.
Speaking on ITV [via Goodison News] during live commentary of the game, Dixon insisted that Pickford deserved to avoid some stick following an impressive track record for his country:
“Huge, no concentration,” he said of the error.
“He’s not had a lot to do but he gets away with one there, he has earned his luck with the amount of clean sheets he’s kept.”
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Pickford hardly covered himself in glory and a better showing will be needed if he is to deflect criticism.
However, he is hardly an unreliable figure at international level has been trusted as England’s no. 1 since before the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Ahead of Qatar 2022, it is extremely improbable that one lapse would dampen the thinking of Gareth Southgate with regards to the Everton star, and Evertonians should be assured that Pickford will continue to star ahead of the next major tournament.
