Frank Lampard has a number of issues to deal with over the World Cup break but concerns over his goalkeeper are not one of them.
Jordan Pickford spilled a Dominic Solanke shot at Bournemouth on Saturday, allowing Marcus Tavernier to score and gifting the hosts a lead they did not surrender. But, for Lampard, it was a one-off that will quickly be forgotten.
Speaking after the 3-0 defeat he questioned the intensity of some of his players and acknowledged Everton had ended the first stage of the campaign with a poor performance. He stressed he has nothing but faith in Pickford though.
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Defeat at the Vitality Stadium concluded a miserable week in which Everton lost at the same ground in the Carabao Cup days after losing at home to Leicester City. Heading into the match with Leicester there was talk of Everton entering the top half of the Premier League table with a win. Seven days later, the club found itself just one place and one point above the relegation zone. Lampard pointed to how quickly things can change as he called for perspective on the defeat on Saturday.
Tavernier opened the scoring after Pickford's error but Lampard chose instead to focus on the heroics of his goalkeeper - once again named captain with Seamus Coleman out of the starting line-up - after the match. A stunning performance in the Merseyside derby and brilliant saves in several other matches this season have kept Everton in games - as Pickford did so often during the relegation battle of the last campaign.
Referring to Pickford's involvement in the first goal, Lampard said: "Jordan is an amazing goalkeeper and he has made incredible saves for us since I have been here, and before. There is a reason why I trust him so much and Gareth [Southgate, England manager] trusts him so much. So I have got no focus on that. It was part of the game, for sure, but it has no bearing on me or anything going forward."
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