Increasing need for new Everton keeper
One of the most frustrating themes of this season for Everton, Jordan Pickford’s failings, were again in evidence in Wednesday night’s 2-1 win over Leicester City.
Although I’ve said that tackling the midfield is the biggest single issue for Everton to deal with before next season, I also think that the Blues really need to try and sign a top class goalkeeper.
Pickford’s erraticism is becoming a recurring and constant problem for the Toffees. Once again on Wednesday, Pickford made a couple of mistakes that nearly cost the Blues the points.
It is something that cannot continue if Everton are to really progress and compete with the very best sides in the Premier League.
I wrote recently that the Blues need to learn from Liverpool’s success, however hard that might hurt! One of the key planks of that success is the signing of keeper Allison.
Allison’s importance to the Reds was underlined again during this season restart in the recent derby game at Goodison Park. The Brazilian keeper was critical in securing Liverpool a point after Everton piled on the pressure late in the game.
Before Allison arrived Liverpool were struggling without a rock solid man between the posts and they were alternating between Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius without either ever convincing.
They would not have become Premier League champions without buying the big Brazil international keeper.
The problems with Pickford have been well documented so I won’t go back over all of them. Suffice to say that his consistent inconsistency and failures of concentration seem as though they are going to continually be a problem for the Toffees.
I would like Pickford to be the answer to what the Blues need between the posts. He showed promise when he first signed and back in 2018 was being talked of as the Everton and England number one for years to come.
However, unfortunately he hasn’t proved to be that answer, at least not yet. I feel Everton do need to think about securing an alternative, at least to provide some real competition.
Neither Marteen Steklenberg or Virginia appear to be the answer. One is too old and the other too young and inexperienced.
So who might that alternative be? There are several possible candidates who are a little under the radar that might be worth a closer look.
One player is the Parma goalkeeper Luigi Sepe. The Italian club’s number one, is a little on the older side at 29, but traditionally keepers mature later than outfield players and he could be entering his peak with at least five or more years at the top.
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Critically Sepe’s strengths according to whoscored.com include his concentration. This is the main weakness that Pickford constantly displays in his games.
This concentration is an absolutely crucial skill to the position. Nearly every professional keeper is going to be a solid, athletic, shot stopper, so the ability to maintain concentration and alertness is the next level central to being that type of top level, trophy-winning keeper.
Sepe is also very comfortable on the ball, an important quality given how much Carlo Ancelotti wants to play out from the back.
Another younger prospect is Reims’ Predrag Rajkovic. The Serbian player is a very talented all-round keeper, with all the right skills and at 24 would better fit the Blues transfer policy.
Again, as with Sepe, I don’t know whether the French club would be prepared to consider a transfer or how much they might want for him if they would consider a sale.