“He doesn’t inspire any confidence” – Troy Deeney points out one player who could hurt England’s chances in the World Cup.
England got off to a great start in their World Cup campaign, but Troy Deeney thinks one player might hold them back this summer.
Thomas Tuchel’s team looked strong as they beat an older Croatia side 4-2, and they could have won by even more. England showed enough attacking skill to challenge any team at the World Cup, but they did let in two goals a bit too easily.
Many blamed the centre-backs, John Stones and Ezri Konsa, but former Premier League striker Deeney feels goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was the real weak spot. At 32 years old, Pickford has been important to England’s steady progress, but Deeney doesn’t believe he’s good enough to help them win the World Cup.
“I’m just going by what I see,” Deeney told CBS Sports. “I think he should’ve saved the first goal. When you get your hand to the ball, you need to keep it out.
“When I watch Jordan, sometimes he screams at others to ‘do your job’ when a shot comes in. But when he punches it away or makes a mistake, he’s like, ‘Don’t look at me!’
“We’re here to win a World Cup. Respectfully, Jordan, because I like you, but I don’t think we can win with him in goal. He doesn’t give confidence.”
While some argue over the goalkeeper spot, former England player Harry Maguire stands by Pickford. On The Rest is Football, he praised Pickford as a key part of Tuchel’s game plan.
“People thought we’d play defensively and counter-attack, but I think it’s the opposite,” Maguire said. “Our defenders want to build from the back, and Pickford was really calm under pressure today.
“The midfielders want to keep the ball, and our wingers focus on putting pressure on the opponents. We’ll build up play but also press high in their half, which we saw today.”