Pickford sets new tournament record in another lifeless England draw

It was a pretty dull game.

As I said on the Euros day thread, for long periods, England were being taught by Slovenia on how to keep the ball.

Well, they've gone through as Group winners, so job done. Germany have done it for years, slow start, get to the knockouts and then up their game. And England will have to up their game.

The only English player who has never played in the premier league is Bellingham, but he plays for Real Madrid!

I write this to carry on with Bob@6, and the first sentence of his post, which perfectly describes how England, are currently playing.

I appreciate it's all opinions, but I never rated him too much. Good but not great. I think he benefited having that Arsenal defence that was almost impregnable, in front of him.

I remember him having a few bloopers.

Jordan has matured and his shot stopping is up there with the best in the league.

Keegan, Erickson, Capello, Wally, Roy, Sam and now this Chump. What a waste. I used to blame the players but now I blame the FA and the clueless twats they've employed to turn generations of talent into turgid shit. Almost an impossible task but they've done it.

Years ago we needed Clough to make England genuine contenders now, controversial I know, I'd sack Southgate today and ask Klopp to take over.

As an aside, not being an England fan, is there anyone on ToffeeWeb who actually travels abroad to watch England in these competitions? It would be interesting to hear their views on supporting England and how they feel about how England are being set up by the present manager.

He'll probably do what he done when he left Dortmund. Wait his time until something he fancies comes along.

I think Tuchel is still available.

An outside bet for those who like a gamble. Lee Carsley? He could follow a similar path that Southgate did.

The Lampard-gerrard conundrum. Playing injured players when clearly not fit eg Beckham and Owen. Using Paul Scholes as almost a winger. Taking a 16 year old Theo Walcott to a major tournament and not using him. And the latest calamity, not taking Branthwaite as cover for an injured and overweight, Luke shaw.

Englands managers shoot themselves in the foot due to cowardice and lack of imagination, hence my choice of klopp as the next manager. He'd tell the suits and media hangers on to go fuck themselves and let him make the choices.

Either of them, Danny. I prefer klopp because he doesn't suffer fools gladly

But the worst of all was his bizarre positioning for Koeman's free kick in 1993. Watch it on YouTube, he's stood almost in line with his left goal post! When EVERYONE knew Koenan was going to shoot to the other side. Ridiculous.

Good England managers can be counted on one hand.

The manager/coach is the most important job at a football team. Every fan knows this. When that great manager leaves your club it can take years to get a manager of equal standing. Look at us, look at Man Utd after Ferguson etc etc. Until England get the right man they will never win a major tournament.

As for the rest of them, they remind of so many EFC teams over the Moshiri era. Downing tools on their manager.

Yesterday Southgate could have rested players as we had already qualified. The Spanish rested 10 for their 3rd Group game. If the game was going against England he could have brought Kane, Bellingham, Saka, Walker and Rice on.

He should have started with Pickford, TAA, Stones, Gehui, Trippier, Mainoo, Wharton, Palmer, Gordon, Foden and Watkins. All we are saying is give youth a chance.

Look at Austria - just topped a group with France and Holland in. Have a distinguishable strategy, every player knows their job, every player puts the team first. They all know what to do before they have the ball. They are clearly well coached and drilled. Ragnick deserves great credit.

Compare this to England who have resembled a fantasy football XI at times. Players admitting they didn't really know what to do or what the tactics are. A midfield that is so disjointed it could be Everton under Lampard. And individuals, like Bellingham last night, who appear to have completely forgotten that football is a team game first and foremost.

The gozzy eyed capitalist twat (©️ Paul Ferry) Gareth does not appear to have any plan for this tournament. The players are under prepared, under coached and have no patterns of play. He picked an unbalanced squad and left key positions weak. He looks shell shocked and so do the players. Can't see it getting any better unless he throws caution to the wind and has a complete overhaul similar to Bobby Robson in 86 and 90.

Writing on my iPad is doing my head in as there's like a 5 second delay, sometimes even longer, for the words to appear which leads to Confusion and mistakes which I can't return to to fix. Anyone having the same problem?

There was a thread on the problem not so long ago possibly under Talking Points or General Forum although it wasn't much use to an IT luddite like me.

Sometimes, like now, there's no problem.

Outside of Everton, what about Trautman? Finished a cup final with a broken neck.

My brother-in-law, who is originally from Somerset, but has lived in Liverpool for 30 years says it's a Liverpool thing.

I was talking yesterday and you rarely see and Everton or Liverpool flag or banner at the England matches.

On the issues mentioned, yes, the website has been slow. I've tried different browsers, but I find it easier to open word and cut and paste.

It's fine on the phone. I have Android (Samsung).

Personally, I think he's an excellent Champions League standard player - and one of the best goalkeepers in the world currently. You could make a vdecent case to say one of world's top 5 keepers.

Who is definitely better?

Perhaps in the Premier League it's Ederson - although he has the considerable advantage of playing in such a dominant side. I'd like to see how he copes in a much weaker side. Otherwise it's hard to argue that players like Vicario, Raya, Alisson, Martinez and Onana are better - although they are all very good.

Worldwide, again there are lots of good keepers but who is definitely better? Neuer is certainly not what he was. Courtois has possibly lost his spot to Lunin. Donnarumma perhaps?

I will continue to say that Jordan is not a great ‘keeper as long as he plays for Everton, his shot stopping saves us many points while his mistakes cost us many and that includes right up to the season just finished.

If you think Pickford is the best ‘keeper have had since the 1966 World Cup I doubt you will have any fans agreeing with you, and that's just with Everton fans, I think neutrals would scoff at the notion.

He continues to be a ‘ keeper who is poor at commanding his goal area especially at centres, corners and free kicks, his temperament is poor with his insane ranting at nearly every opponents attacks when it it is over with Tarkowski putting him in his place when he goes on too much.

Martin you think he is better than most goalkeepers, that is again an opinion, but it still doesn't make him a great ‘keeper, why hasn't he been snapped up by any of the top clubs around, including Europe.

I'd say he is at peak of his career now, surely some club must be interested in him—- how much do you think we would get for him if he was to go now? A lot more than we paid for him.

The real good news is that ToffeeWeb is running smoothly again, fingers crossed.

Should we end up selling Jordan, which I wouldn't like to, he'd be worth a look at.

Colin, there are other things to worry about. I've got my sister and cousin driving down from Liverpool. They'll fussing over me, telling me to eat and drink water.

You'd think I hadn't eaten in 40 years or so!!

You're right about Jordan and commanding his area. He spends a lot of time in his six yard box. Maybe that's the Everton team he's been playing in with the defence sat on top of him?

Minor random point, but I wish he would stop doing that thing at the end of matches where he swings his hand several times. I fear he's going to sprain his wrist!!

This would be poor for Everton as I doubt we would get the fee he is worth because of the lack of first team football he has had at the club, no matter how well he played last season in those cup games, Jordan came right back in, rightly so, but it doesn't help Virginia.

Jordan matches Neville on maybe two of those attributes. Having said that, he is still by far the best English goalkeeper and he has saved us many times.

I've only followed England once at a major tournament and there was absolutely loads of scousers there. My two sons were at Wembley, when England got beat in the final against Italy, and both of them said that it didn't really hurt them when they lost, whereas it's different with Everton.

They've got about 45 years of support between them and they have seen England in the same amount of finals as Everton, and are yet to see Everton win a cup.

Thanks for those fucking good times, hey……..🤮

The bottom line, he wouldn't lace Rodri's boots, he's a centre back.

For what it's worth, I think he's been poor in these Euro's for England but then again, who hasn't? Pickford probably on the basis he's had little or nothing to do. Rice slow things down but all of them do, aimlessly passing it sideways and backwards with little or no urgency and zero movement ahead of them and no width.

He's certainly not at Rodri's level but in that position, no one else in the world currently is.

I take what Christine (#39) says about his lack of dominance on crosses etc, but, for me, his decision making and all round agility is one of the main reasons Everton FC are still a Premier League club.

I see the "haters" – probably armchair Kopites – are out in force with ToffeeTV posting Pickford's achievement on Facebook: My God, they are so predictable aren't they? At least our 'keeper is undisputed first choice for his country – unlike the Brazilian bloke across the park.

He's down tonight for the obvious, but we'll end up talking about Everton and he'll tell me I'm deluded. I really feel for them.

How they keep going is beyond me, but they do.

My poor nephew, who has his season ticket in the Upper Bullens and lives with his red supporting Dad and two red brothers. He follows his dad around muttering about Everton!!

Their day will come, as will ours.

I mentioned this before, but I've only been to watch England live once in Luxemburg.I was only young. Horrendous. The violence on the terracing and in the city afterwards frightened me.

Łukasz Skorupski plays for Bologna who seem to have some very good players currently.

We often forget, that these footballers are human beings with families.

Not for England!!

Would anybody be thinking of England while having hanky panky, Kieran? OK, maybe my wife would, given my poor "performances"; when she goes to bed with an England shirt on, I know not to expect too much.

Wasn't that the Victorian way "'Close your eyes and think of England"

Para (1) - I did not say anything about competitors. Please re read. Check out Aaron Ramsdales' recent comments.

Para 2 - You are entitled to your view. I disagree

Para 3 - No other English goalkeeper has managed this. I believe (up.until his eye loss) Banks IS the best English keeper of all time. We could go through all the others but what makes Jordan great is his keeping clean sheets at tournies. Do you think this is easy and he the England defence are so good he had nothing to do with this. ?

Para 4 - I concede that his weakness is crosses and direct free kicks. I suggest watching Shilton and Seaman to see how poor they were at free kicks.

Jordans punching from corners was excellent last season.

You criticise me naming others who are regarded as the best in the PL yet do not suggest a suitable, beter replacement. I stand by my criticism of those having watched them on many occasions.

In fact no other team has come in for them either apart from the Saudi league, nor any of the other number ones.

Ben Foster was asked on TS to list (in order) the best England gk post world cup.

He came 2nd behind his mate Seaman.

Other commentators rate him the best.

Jordan is world class. His record proves that. Easily in the top 5 in the world.

He is great. Is he superb. ? No.

Best EFC keeper ? No.

That is a toss up between Southall and West.

Thanks for your reply. It is much appreciated. We will agree to disagree. But not about the team we love.

COYB

Yes, we will definitely agree to disagree on nearly every one of those points you made but not about the team we love!

Best wishes, Martin, and keep posting. I enjoy your posts — even the last one.

Now we need a performance from the millionaires on holiday and another clean sheet for our very own Jordan Pickford.

In keeping a clean sheet, he broke Shilton's record of clean sheets in tournaments, which has already been hilighted, but by being selected to play, he moved one clear of Shilton's record of most appearances for an England goalkeeper in tournaments by moving onto 20 appearances.

Obviously it does not include friendlies, just main tournaments.

The conversation inevitably drifted to Everton. The locals thought we were arguing.

As my brother said, only we often disagree on the one thing we all agree on!!