NickNack wrote: ↑Thu Jul 02, 2026 9:12 am
He definitely was shite the season Burnley got promoted and lost his place if I recall correctly. Did much better when they were in the Championship but we’ve not really seen that much of him since. Don’t think he was that good in the games when he first went to City either
Didn’t he lose it to Dubravka? No shame in that. The guys a legend, and losing out to him is normal.
Pickford has not been at his best at this WC, but England's back four have been absolute shite to be fair. Not a great deal that he can do about the pile of shite that keeps leaving him massively exposed.
Just like it was criminal of Moyes to go all of last season without a proper right back, Tuchel must also hang his head in shame for going into the biggest tournament there is with such a poor group of defenders. Of the ones that are in the squad, there's only really Guehi who looks anywhere near the required level. The rest are slightly different shades of shite. Stones simply doesn't have the legs for tournament football anymore. Died Spence is absolutely fucking shocking. Konsa is OK, but not great and Nico O'Reilly is ok going forward but not particularly brilliant defensively. He can get away with it at City, where they have a lot of the ball and tend to attack, but not entirely convinced he's a proper left back.
Trafford is nothing special and doesn't have a premier league full season under his belt yet and was dropped the chance he did get in the Premier League. He's all hype based on championship footy.
I could see Dean Henderson taking his place though.
Shogun wrote: ↑Fri Jul 03, 2026 10:15 am
Trafford is nothing special and doesn't have a premier league full season under his belt yet and was dropped the chance he did get in the Premier League. He's all hype based on championship footy.
I could see Dean Henderson taking his place though.
Hype is enough these days though, even if he’s shit in matches there’ll be people clinging on to “he’ll come good eventually”
Cereal Killer wrote: ↑Fri Jul 03, 2026 10:45 am
Hype is enough these days though, even if he’s shit in matches there’ll be people clinging on to “he’ll come good eventually”
Hype will get him in, but not sure it'll get him through any mistakes once he gets in.
Media and fans will be waiting to tear him down just as quickly as they build him up, it's the nature of the beast.
Shogun wrote: ↑Fri Jul 03, 2026 10:15 am
Trafford is nothing special and doesn't have a premier league full season under his belt yet and was dropped the chance he did get in the Premier League. He's all hype based on championship footy.
I could see Dean Henderson taking his place though.
He was dropped because they got a top 3 in the world keeper in.
I think he is good, needs to go to another team though and play every week.
Audrey Horne wrote: ↑Fri Jul 03, 2026 11:02 am
He was dropped because they got a top 3 in the world keeper in.
I think he is good, needs to go to another team though and play every week.
Agree, but part of the reason they brought another keeper in was because he looked so shaky in those early games after coming in with much hype. He went back to Man City because he was under the impression he’d be first choice, but a little like a fair few other City signings Pep quickly decided he wasn’t the answer and he was another that just got sidelined.
He was ok in the league cup, although not really super tested I think? But he’s never really had any sustained proof that he’s good in the PL, in fact those early Man City games were kinda the opposite. Like you say though, if he’s playing every week that’ll be the proof either way.
He’s young, has a good reputation and is at a massive club.
He’ll either play for city or go to a club like Villa/Newcastle every week and probably do well.
Pickford has been number one for ten years now. Maybe it’s a poor run of form, or maybe it is just the start of decline, but either way, eventually he’s going to come under pressure from another keeper.
I wouldn’t bet on him being the number one for the next tournament personally.
