Before Thomas Tuchel assumed the reins, there were likely four England players who seemed indispensable: Jordan Pickford, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane. That number quickly dropped to three when Tuchel made it clear that Bellingham - regardless of his Real Madrid status - would have to compete with Morgan Rogers for a spot in the starting eleven.
Tuchel's commendation of Bellingham following his superb display against Croatia was fittingly generous. However, he ensured to give Rogers, who came on as a 72nd-minute replacement for Declan Rice, a significant mention too.
There's no question that the prospect of Rogers starting ahead of him motivated Bellingham. Such a threat doesn't apply to Kane and Rice, but after what seemed like an on-pitch disagreement with his goalkeeper, the same might not hold true for Pickford.
Coupled with the implied critique from Tuchel's right-hand man, Anthony Barry, at half-time, it's now evident that Pickford isn't untouchable. Geoff Shreeves reported that Tuchel said to Pickford: "You know what you're supposed to do - do as I told you."
During the interval, Barry stated: "We made some decisions when the energy wasn't free in our minds, playing long when we should have played short and playing short when we should have played long. No threaded passes to accelerate the game."
Barry's choice of the word "nervous" was equally significant. There has been ongoing debate about the Everton shot-stopper's distinctive demeanour in major matches and whether it rubs off on his defensive colleagues.
While Barry may have been making a broader point, it's evident Pickford would have been amongst those in the firing line of such criticism, reports the Mirror. And the Opta figures would support that assessment: Even prior to Tuchel overseeing his maiden fixture, there were murmurs from his circle that England's goalkeeping department was an area he felt required fresh impetus.
Tuchel formally began his England role on January 1, 2025. In October 2024, numerous reports indicated Pickford would encounter a battle to retain his uncontested No.1 position. During the summer of last year, while being extremely praising of Pickford, Tuchel stated he fully anticipated James Trafford and Dean Henderson to push the Everton custodian for England's starting berth.
And despite his opportunities back at Manchester City being instantly restricted by Gianluigi Donnarumma's arrival, Trafford is emerging as the primary threat to Pickford, who now boasts 85 caps. Trafford has been outstanding during his opportunities at City and earned his full England bow in March.
A few pundits suggested that Pickford might have done better with Croatia's first goal - a shot from Martin Baturina - and Troy Deeney went a step further on CBS Sports, stating England "can't win the World Cup with Jordan Pickford." Criticism seems to roll off Pickford like water off a duck's back. When questioned about dealing with it last season, he responded: "It's about just being mentally strong. Everyone knows what I've done for England in the shirt, the only thing I've not done is win a trophy, so that's the aim in the summer."
Deeney's judgement is incredibly severe. However, it's not unfair to say that Pickford is now certainly not untouchable. It would be a massive, massive risk, but it cannot be dismissed.
