World Cup 2026: Jordan Pickford – Time to finally give England goalkeeper credit he deserves
Pickford had an uncertain start to the World Cup and was at fault for being beaten at the close post when DR Congo took the lead against England in Atlanta before two late goals from captain Harry Kane put them through.
But in the pressure cooker of the Azteca, Pickford was at his best for England; Two superb saves from Mexican striker Raul Jimenez in the first half followed, followed by an outstanding display of penalty area dominance in a frantic second period.
“It was a very brave display of goalkeeping,” Robinson said. “I really admired what he did in the second half and his two saves in the first half kept England in the game. Without him they might have been trailing at half-time.”
Pickford was widely praised for taking charge of the penalty area, taking the initiative by regularly scoring crosses and corners as England came under siege, reduced to 10 men after Jarell Quansah was sent off early in the second half.
“He decided to stand up, he came in for crosses, he made decisions to go for balls and he made life easier for the defenders because of how good he was.
“The easiest thing as a goalkeeper is to stay in your line because you don’t get criticized. If you stay in your line you can’t make mistakes, but he showed maturity and courage.
“He showed how his game has improved by stepping out of his line, making those decisions, making big bold decisions. That’s where you see how much he’s improved.
“Jordan took charge, punched the ball, caught the ball and made life easier for defenders.
“He doesn’t care which players are in front of him. It doesn’t surprise him. In most games he has played with a different back four, with the full-backs rotating and the center of defense changing.
“The players know him and trust him. I think there is a good relationship.”
And Pickford’s Mexican masterclass could boost England’s confidence as they look to overcome the dangerous Norwegians and veteran striker Erling Haaland, who made his threat known in the 2-0 win over Brazil in the last 16.
“I think Jordan Pickford’s confidence will be at an all-time high and he will be good after the team’s win against Mexico,” Robinson added.
“When Thomas Tuchel went to the back five in the 71st minute, I questioned them live on TV. I was thinking I wasn’t sure if they could hold on and that would mean getting him beaten with a stick.”
“It went right and Jordan Pickford played a big part in making it go right.”
