Jordan Pickford has signed a new contract, great news that adds to the signings of James Tarkowski and Jared last summer. These three players have made a real difference since the arrival of the current staff, with solid and regular performances that have mattered when consolidating the team. Pickford remains a top goalkeeper, with brilliant moments that weigh on the matches and clean sheets figures noticed over the seasons, which earned him to keep his place in the selection.
Debates about his ambition or his place in the national team sometimes come up, but the answer is simple: if he wasn’t the best at his position in England, someone else would play in his place. Trained at a very young age at Sunderland, already an excellent goalkeeper at the time, he continued to develop and then now establishes himself as a strong voice in the dressing room, an executive who brings his experience, his requirement and his leadership on a daily basis.
Jack will not be able to play against Manchester City, an expected absence since he is on loan from this club; it will therefore be necessary to reorganize the team for this appointment. Kieran returns after a suspension following two warnings deemed excessive, and the team was also able to beat Crystal Palace without him. In the returns department, Jared and Merlin are back on the training ground, while Pat unfortunately got injured during an U21 match in midweek. The substitutes made the difference in the last match, in particular Betto and Alcar, and the objective remains clear: to have a bench capable of changing the course of a match, as we see more and more often in the Premier League.
Manchester City remains extremely difficult to maneuver, even if some teams have recently managed to achieve results. Pep Guardiola’s work, a reference for a decade, serves as a model for many clubs and coaches, and we also remember his ability to adjust details when the situation requires it. There is no radical transformation of style this season, rather one-off adaptations, which illustrates the importance of knowing how to evolve, including for the best, in order to find other paths to the result.
Even if Jack cannot play, there is no question of extracting internal information from him about his home club. The mindset remains to prepare for the match with your own analyzes, without looking for secrets from anyone, because this is not the way of working assumed by the staff.
At the time of Jordan Pickford’s transfer, the close relationship with Everton managers made it possible to emphasize that he was an exceptional young goalkeeper. The club recruited him in the summer that followed, for an amount of about 25 million, a good price for Sunderland who had just come down, even if losing such a goalkeeper was not desired. His shot-stopping qualities, his footwork and his general progress then validated this choice.
James Tarkowski also extended during the break, which consolidates the most reliable sector of the team. With Jared Branthwaite and the goalkeeper, the defense has often been the most successful part of the collective. Tarkowski assumes a leadership role, rarely injured, always available, and this reliability counts as much as his responsibilities on the field. The contract does not guarantee anything, but it confirms the trust placed in a player who can be counted on.
Dwight McNeil played with the U21s this week. He must continue to push to regain a starting place in an offensive sector where competition has increased. Last season, at the same time, he could be considered one of the best players in the team, but an injury slowed his momentum when the staff arrived. It is up to him to regain this level by creating and scoring, in the face of a more demanding internal opposition.
Betto weighed in off the bench against Crystal Palace and his daily involvement is exemplary. The goal is to bring him back to what was his strength: attacking depth, escaping defenders and scoring. The game has evolved slightly with more possession, so less spaces to attack, but the requirement remains the same: to be decisive. He has created situations for himself, like that well-taken header by the goalkeeper, and he must continue to position himself, strike on target and provoke that goal that triggers the series. The desire to score is there, and this is the starting point.
Before facing Manchester City, the extension of Jordan Pickford, the defensive solidity worn by Tarkowski and the gradual returns to training offer benchmarks, while the bench must continue to make a real impact. The preparation is done without looking for secrets, with the idea that adaptation is essential in front of a reference like Pep Guardiola. The executives assume, the competition settles in front of them, and everyone knows the way: consistency, daily work, and efficiency in the moments that matter.
