It’s an assertion made in both The Telegraph and the Daily Mail (so someone has been briefing journalists) but Jordan Pickford will apparently have to fight for his place as England’s first-choice goalkeeper now that Thomas Tuchel is in charge.
With the German’s appointment now confirmed and the initial jingoistic nonsense already out there from the likes of the Mail, attention has quickly turned to Pickford who opened the door to the media vultures with his rocky performance against Greece last week.
The Everton star wasn’t directly reposonsible for either of the goals in England’s 2-1 defeat but he did almost gave one away by gifting possession in a dangerous area.
Interim Three Lions boss, Lee Carsley, made it clear that he had planned on giving Dean Henderson a start in the second Nations League match of the international break against Finland regardless of how Pickford performed against Greece but that hasn’t deterred the press from sharpening their knives for the goalkeeper.
According to Matt Law of the Telegraph, Pickford “will be under immediate pressure” when Tuchel takes over from Carsley on 1 January to prove that he is deserving of the undisputed role as England No. 1 that he held throughout Gareth Southgate’s reign.
In the Mail, Sami Mokbel is less forthright, saying that “it is understood” Pickford won’t automatically retain his first-choice berth.