AjaxAndy wrote: ↑Tue Feb 04, 2025 10:15 pm
Yeah I got plenty of pelters for standing by him during that spell, he was becoming fairly universally disliked.
Ancelotti sorted him out brilliantly though bringing on Olson and dropping Pickford, made him really step up. Plenty of shouts about him being the new Joe Hart around that time.
There's some hyperbole in here mate. He was rightfully criticised for a period of poor form most of us recognised it as that, it was fair criticism at the time which is why Olson came in, he had no pressure on him and his performances had dropped.
Defending him is fine but not criticising obvious mistakes or using as many justifications as you can to give him a get out, something he himself probably wouldn't want given his standards, does him no favours
Silas wrote: ↑Wed Feb 05, 2025 10:33 am
There's some hyperbole in here mate. He was rightfully criticised for a period of poor form most of us recognised it as that, it was fair criticism at the time which is why Olson came in, he had no pressure on him and his performances had dropped.
Defending him is fine but not criticising obvious mistakes or using as many justifications as you can to give him a get out, something he himself probably wouldn't want given his standards, does him no favours
I'm not saying he wasn't poor or that he shouldn't have been dropped.
My point was 90% of people saying we should replace him with any old average keeper and I said we needed to stick by him. Let's not all forget how Dubravka pretty much became the NSNO meme in response to my defence of him and how we needed to keep him and get him to fulfill his potential.
Like I said 'the new Joe Hart' was used on here loads saying he was shit and needed to be replaced by literally any 6 foot 4 keeper regardless of quality. It was only once Olson played a few games people started to realise that wasn't actually true.
Look I'm glad he came out the other side of that prolonged period of being poor, I always rated him and wanted him to go on to do exactly what he's done. He's been out best player over that time since.
If you look at some of the crap keeping in the league, we are lucky to have Pickford.
His shot stopping is utterly superb - saves pretty much everything you would expect him to and parry’s it away from danger. Doesn’t make errors at all.
He is a character, but the reason he has improved so much is that he has reigned in that devil on his shoulder that tells him to do some of the more erratic things that he shouldn’t. That doesn’t mean that it stops him constantly shouting at Tark!
He doesn’t seem to feel pressure and bathes in it. He would prefer a World Cup final penalty shootout over anything else. That’s why he was so incredible in the key relegation battles we have had over the last few seasons.
He is the reason we are in the PL. Without him, we would have been relegated without a doubt.
I would say he is an Everton legend and a legendary shithouse. Why he is still here who knows? He obviously loves it hopefully we can pay him back a bit with a better squad in front of him.
He has saved us so many times, Fergie used to say a great goalkeeper was worth 15 points a season, by that metric he has saved us at least three times from relegation.
Lazarou II wrote: ↑Wed Feb 05, 2025 2:28 pm
I would say he is an Everton legend and a legendary shithouse. Why he is still here who knows? He obviously loves it hopefully we can pay him back a bit with a better squad in front of him.
He has saved us so many times, Fergie used to say a great goalkeeper was worth 15 points a season, by that metric he has saved us at least three times from relegation.
100% he is in that legend bracket for me. The saves he has made have kept us in the league two or three seasons in a row and has stepped up to the plate when we have needed him most.
In fact, I would go out on a limb and say that there isn’t another player apart from Super Kev who has done more for Everton in the Premier League. Without these two, we would have been relegated. Who else has done more in terms of their actions?
It’s not all about winning leagues and cups but about players doing outstanding things for the club on a consistent basis to positively contribute and he has done that.
I think a sports psychologist sorted his head out at the time of his form dipping didn't it? It would be interesting to hear him reflect on that one day. At the time he seemed to make a mistake and be desperate to make up for it by becoming more animated, more involved in what was going on up the pitch. He's not one to take a backward step so when he cocked up, I think he probably tried too hard to fix it.
Anyway he learned from it and has made very few errors since. If and when he does he gets his head down. He just grew up really
brap2 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 05, 2025 4:29 pm
Deep down part of me has not forgiven him for the origi goal.
Fuck. I don't think i've ever felt as low. The whole pub went fucking mad (full of Kopites) and i sat there staring at Klopp running on the pitch and Alisson running to him at the centre circle.
Ive never felt as utterly fucking depressed seeing those tourist wanker shit house fans getting yet another incredible moment.
Almost glassed a lad who was up in my face mocking me. Cockney prick.
AjaxAndy wrote: ↑Wed Feb 05, 2025 1:52 pm
I'm not saying he wasn't poor or that he shouldn't have been dropped.
My point was 90% of people saying we should replace him with any old average keeper and I said we needed to stick by him. Let's not all forget how Dubravka pretty much became the NSNO meme in response to my defence of him and how we needed to keep him and get him to fulfill his potential.
Like I said 'the new Joe Hart' was used on here loads saying he was shit and needed to be replaced by literally any 6 foot 4 keeper regardless of quality. It was only once Olson played a few games people started to realise that wasn't actually true.
Look I'm glad he came out the other side of that prolonged period of being poor, I always rated him and wanted him to go on to do exactly what he's done. He's been out best player over that time since.
I was in a pub in Amsterdam which was full of plastic kopites of course. I completely lost the plot and stormed out. It's probably the most angry I've ever been about Everton, well definitely one of them.
But to be positive, Pickford IMO has been far and away our best player for the last 4 years or so. It's not even close. I love the bloke (not in a sexual way)
