Ancelotti on Pickford: "He is a great goalkeeper. He has my total confidence"
Friday 25 September 2020 17:41, UK
Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has given his backing to under-fire goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
The England international struggled for form at times last season and was under the spotlight again in midweek after making two errors that led to goals in their 5-2 Carabao Cup win over Fleetwood.
Pickford looks set to retain his place in goal for Saturday's Premier League game at Crystal Palace, however, and Ancelotti has denied they were looking at bringing in competition for the 26-year-old.
"There is a lot of focus on him but, I have to be honest, he started really well and did a fantastic match against Tottenham. I am not really focused on him, like you [the media]," he said.
"He is a great goalkeeper. He has my total confidence."
Manchester United's Sergio Romero has been linked with a move to Goodison Park but Ancelotti dismissed that speculation, saying: "We are not looking for this."
Everton are firing at the other end of the pitch, however, with 14 goals in their opening four matches of the season in league and cup helping them to a perfect start to the campaign.
James Rodriguez, a £22m signing from Real Madrid, has played his part in that, with his 61-year-old boss joking that even he could score goals playing in front of the Colombian.
Ancelotti has set forwards Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison the demanding target of 20 goals apiece this season, although both are already off the mark.
Calvert-Lewin leads the Premier League going into the weekend's fixtures with four goals after his hat-trick in last weekend's 5-2 thrashing of West Brom, while Richarlison opened his account for the season with two in the Carabao Cup win at Fleetwood.
"I think James Rodriguez is going to help the strikers because he is a fantastic assist man," added Ancelotti.
"The target for Dominic is I hope he can reach 20 goals because he has the quality and ability, like Richarlison.
"With James at the time in Madrid, Ronaldo scored 56 goals: I am not honestly going to ask Dominic to score 56 goals but he has to try to do his best.
"We have two fantastic strikers and behind them we have James and [Gylfi] Sigurdsson. I think if they do not score at least 20 goals each, they can have a problem with me.
"I said to them, 'you have to score at least 20 goals each' and I hope Moise [Kean] also, he has the possibility. He has played two games and scored two goals.
"If I play as a striker and I have behind me James, Sigurdsson, [Andre] Gomes I can score goals and so they have to."
