Jordan Pickford has kept 46 clean sheets in 87 caps for England, but the goalkeeper is eager to see his side win matches without relying on penalty shootouts. After England's 2-0 victory over Panama on Saturday secured top spot in Group L, Pickford emphasized the team's attacking approach under manager Thomas Tuchel.
“We don’t want penalties,” Pickford said. “We want to be winning the game, we don’t want to go to penalties.” The 32-year-old has been a penalty shootout hero for England, saving crucial spot-kicks against Colombia in 2018, Switzerland in Euro 2024, and in the Nations League third-place playoff in 2019. However, he believes the current side has the quality to finish matches in regular time.
England’s Knockout Phase Looms
England will face the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Atlanta on Wednesday in the round of 16. Pickford acknowledged the increased pressure: “It ramps up now, doesn’t it? It’s a proper phase of football. One game at a time. There are lads who have won Champions Leagues, lads who have been in youth tournaments with England. Everyone knows the pressure of it and I think that is where you will see us thrive.”
Pickford has been a constant presence in England’s major tournaments, featuring in 29 consecutive matches since 2018. His experience is invaluable as the team navigates the knockout stages.
Tactical Shift Under Tuchel
Under Tuchel, England has adopted a more aggressive defensive approach, pushing left-back Nico O’Reilly high up the pitch. This tactic carries risks, as seen against Panama when England was nearly caught out on multiple occasions. Pickford defended the strategy: “I wouldn’t say it’s a risk. It’s tactical. We’re playing front-foot football. Hopefully everyone at home is enjoying it. We’re enjoying it. There are a lot of positives out of it because we want to get the ball high up and suffocate teams. That is what we’ll do.”
He added: “There will be the odd time when they’ll make one or two passes and you’ve got to be on your A game. It’s about recovery. You’ve seen a lot of recovery runs. There are a lot of lads putting a lot of effort in. Effort into last-ditch tackles. And then it comes down to me when I need to make a save as well.”
Pickford’s Penalty Pedigree
Pickford’s penalty saves have become part of England folklore. In the 2018 World Cup round of 16, he saved from Carlos Bacca to secure a historic shootout win against Colombia. At Euro 2024, he denied Manuel Akanji in a shootout victory over Switzerland, and in the 2019 Nations League, he saved from Josip Drmic and scored his own penalty. Despite his prowess, he prefers to avoid shootouts: “We have so many good penalty takers so that’s put me down the pecking order. It’s my job to make the saves and in tournaments, time and time before, I’ve always come up with a save in a shootout for England and I’ll hopefully continue that.”
Team Environment Key
Pickford highlighted the importance of maintaining a positive team atmosphere: “You want to have that recovery environment but when we’re off the pitch it’s like our downtime and [we can] relax and have fun between us. And that’s what we do. That’s what I feel we’ve got right since I got here in 2018.”
As England prepares for the knockout rounds, Pickford’s experience and leadership will be crucial. With 46 clean sheets in 87 caps, he remains a reliable last line of defense, but his focus is on attacking football and avoiding the lottery of penalties.
