Jordan Pickford is an England great who must be cherished

Given that it's in the Mail, it feels like a sales pitch.

I'm also slightly surprised that, even when "BBC/Sky 7 Teams" change their keepers, Pickford isn't considered. Jordan has been brilliant for us the last 3 seasons but, if he did go, I also have faith in Virginia.

I'd still like him to be more commanding of his box, but he has literally saved us these past few seasons.

The likes of Man Utd, Chelsea, etc are hardly blessed with great keepers at the moment and Jordan is entering his peak years. He must surely want to achieve more than merely avoiding relegation before he retires. And, he's probably better suited to the style of the Top 6 than our present Dyche-ball era.

If we sold him, Branthwaite and Onana then we could be looking at the best part of £200M! I'm not sure we can turn that down at the present time.

I certainly don't want to sell these players but, unfortunately, that's where we are these days.

Let's not forget, we got Branthwaite for £1M.

I don't think Virginia has looked too bad when he's stepped in. I think he's only on contract until next year though.

And no doubt without him we would be uncomfortably sitting in the Championship by now. Unfortunately, he needs to keep us up again as we don't seem to have any strikers capable of doing it.

Hope Carlisle Utd put in some type of sell-on clause which would keep them afloat for a couple of years.

Kelleher is an interesting one. Good shot-stopper, quick with his feet but doesn't look anywhere near as comfortable with high-line football as the likes of Allison or Ederson.

Whether he would be a better option for the fee involved than Virginia is another debate.

A kicks like a Rugby player.

But some of the saves he makes defy gravity and cause me to stop breathing for 30 seconds or so!!!

As I've commented, what a missed chance not getting Martyn in his prime even though he was was a fine keeper even in his twilight.

Pickford is a Champions League style and standard goalkeeper. He's also one our few long servers and established figures. He'd be a real loss if he does depart.

But, if we're going to stick with Dyche, we're probably better off with a giant keeper as we spend so much time defending, camped in our box and playing mainly on the break/set pieces.

I remember how comfortable we looked against Newcastle (the Iwobi game with the 99th minute winner) even though we had to defend countless set pieces. Because we had Begovic in goal that night and he simply dominated his area. The difference between him and Pickford was staggering, especially considering that Jordan is the superior goalkeeper.

Horses for Courses, and all that.

And as you also know, I share Viner's regard for Pickford, from whom I haven't seen one of those "rushes of blood" in several years now. He really has mastered not only his craft but his own wilder impulses.

I think it's impossible to compare Southall and Pickford. It's an entirely different game now.

For one thing, no goalie could get away with being so overweight as Southall was from the early '90s. The old crew could also catch a breath by picking up endless passbacks.

Distribution was a big punt to the accompaniment of “Ohhhhh bull shitter”… so yeah, he was better at some things but much worse at others valued in the modern game.

Christine 14: I think it's because he is not playing for a Top 6 side; it's Everton so he can't be that good. It's a lot about bias – not ability.

That's not true, Christine. Being with us will not stop Branthwaite (sadly) or Onana (gladly) getting a move to a Top 6 side. Being at Everton did not really harm Wayne Rooney, did it?

I'm not saying for one second that Jordan is not worthy of a move far up the Premier League. I would hate to see him go. After a difficult courtship, I'm in love now. I simply do not believe that being with us is Jordan's first and foremost obstacle to a move like this.

I wonder what he in his prime would cost? Top English players tend to cost more than imports.

He is somewhat tainted by playing for us – you only have to read the utter garbage comments at the end of Viner's article to see this.

Not sure how those gushing last sentences suggest him being tainted. They could be read to read the exact opposite. But they are overly gushing. Strange that he doesn't quote our Neville.

I think that the Top 6 see us as just something else to be exploited and raided when one of ours catches their grubby and greasy eye. We're fair game to the bloodsuckers, like any other also-ran.

Personally I think you have little to fear in terms of Top 6 destinations for either Onana (this summer) or Jarrad (hopefully 2025), because I'd bet they are both destined for Europe. I can't see our old friend Carlo allowing anybody in England to outbid him for Jarrad.

Looking for the Toffees is the book in my mind, as you knew. This was also my time and your friend Brian captures it brilliantly.

Do you mind me asking how you know him? Does it go back to your reporter days?

Hope all is well with health and home.

Pickford is different from Southall. Pickford is a very good keeper with certain strengths that many have documented here. I like how he has matured over the past few seasons. It's not easy being an Everton defender or goalkeeper right now, but he keeps us in the fight.

Like many, I've been fortunate to witness both.

He wasn't such a big frame in his prime and very athletic. Apparently known for him staying behind to continue training. Yes, he was carrying a bit of timber in his later years, but testimony to his ability to carry on and help us win our last trophy with a couple of great saves in the 1995 FA Cup Final. He still had it despite the weight gain.

Interesting article from an interview in The Independent in 2019:

The art of shot-stopping: Neville Southall on tennis-ball drills, cricket-bat saves and intimidation

There is a player in there somewhere but if another outfit wants to pay north of £60 million, then so long.

He'll be remembered in the same light as Danny Williamson and Per Krøldrup.

Goalkeeper: Nick Pope, Newcastle

Nick Pope has not played since the beginning of December, but he remains the best English goalkeeper this season. The 31-year-old's ongoing absence has proved catastrophic for Eddie Howe's side. Since his injury against Manchester United, the team's defensive record has plummeted from one of the very best in the league, to one of the worst. Newcastle conceded three or more goals in just one of the 14 league matches Pope has started this season; in the 14 games without him, they have allowed that to happen eight times. Rating: 6.72

The last piece on the opening page that: Any Evertonian who watched Everton over the last two seasons knows that he pretty much single-handedly steered the club clear of relegation, needs a good coat of looking over.

Blue tinted glasses for me. Pickford helped, no doubt, along with quite a few other players, and all of them hindered as well as helped too.

The £60M part always puzzles me.

If Arsenal are prepared to cough up an insane £60M for Onana, that's their problem, not ours.

After all, we've seen this very thing with Neal Maupay at Brentford. Hell, if Dominic returned to being primarily a penalty-box striker (as he was under Ancelotti, and as Ollie Watkins is under Emery), we'd see a lot more goals, but would lose much of his output as a target man.

As far as I'm concerned, when Arsenal or an other club cough up that "insane £60M" for Onana, we'll see a MUCH, MUCH better player. Up until the penalty debacle, I don't recall seeing this level of bile spewed about Onana. A lot of people soured on him that night, and as a result, refuse to acknowledge that he's a very good player.

As for Steve Daley, I'm going to defer to your knowledge, given that I'm only 35.

I don't think that any "bile" has been "spewed" on Onana (Okay, perhaps on the Live Forum).

It's not "bile" to say that Onana is not worth £60M. Nor is it "bile" to say that he is a frustrating player or that his long passing and shooting can be erratic or that, for a fella his size, it's surprising he doesn't nab more goals or make himself an utter pest in the other side's box or penalty area.

These are all valid criticisms and others have other points of view, That's what makes the world go round.

Another way of seeing that is to ask, How the feck does our scouting/buying crew manage so often to bring in strikers not good enough to succeed at Everton?

Steve Daley was a decent midfielder with Wolves and I think the football fans of English football were amazed when he was transferred to Man City for a record English transfer fee of nearly £1.5M.

This is a link to the extended highlights from the Old Lady 22 December 1979 when we played Man City. Steve Daley is in the City team and Gerry Sinstadt (commentator and legend) in his own professional inimical way alludes precisely to what Dave is saying at #40

I don't want to be a spoiler Rob, but Daley does actually score, but only because Garry Stanley makes a huge howler.

Tommy Caton from Bootle is playing at the back for City.

I was at this game!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c_zAuCPFv4

Just watched that game. Jesus, we missed some chances and gave the two goals away.

Some decent players in that team though: Asa Hartford (named after Al Jolson) who never stayed long, Brian Kidd, Trevor Ross and Andy King who missed one of those chances but more than made up for it on other occasions.

I remember Trevor Ross having his critics – but not me, a very clever technical player with a shot in him.

As for strikers, I think a lot of it has come down to mismanagement. Somehow, the only manager who's come close to effectively using a striker at Goodison has been Ancelotti with Calvert-Lewin. A succession of managers have failed to cater to his strengths (including Dyche, I'll add), using him as a battering ram rather than as a penalty-box finisher. Every striker has been used in broadly the same way for years, and then management have been baffled that it's not worked.

The fact that Lampard kept trying to use Neal Maupay as a lone striker should have been a sackable offence, let alone the disastrous run of form that we're currently revisiting under Dyche (not advocating for his removal).