NafisaJamie Carragher: £150,000-a-Week Everton Star ‘Killed’ Pickford v Sunderland
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Everton star James Tarkowski has been blasted by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher after the central defender deflected Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka’s strike beyond goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and it resulted in the Toffees returning to the Hill Dickinson Stadium with only a point.
David Moyes’ side were on course for victory after Iliman Ndiaye gave the Merseyside outfit a first half lead at the Stadium of Light, but they were pegged back in the second period and were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw.
Carragher Critical of Tarkowski Following Equaliser
Carragher has criticised Tarkowski’s positioning after he blocked Everton goalkeeper Pickford’s line of sight and deflected Xhaka’s effort into the back of the net early in the second half of the draw with Sunderland on Monday night. Speaking on Sky Sports, the pundit said:
“He has to get up quick because he knows the Sunderland player on the ball cannot have a shot. He’s got his back to goal, so it’s only going one way. He doesn’t move. For me, Tarkowski needs to be at least two or three yards higher, just to get out the way of the goalkeeper. He’s just coming out of the six-yard box as it’s coming to Xhaka. But, at the last minute, he drops a little bit deeper again. He goes inside because he wants to be the keeper. He wants to save it. He has killed the goalkeeper there. Pickford’s got no chance.”
Tarkowski, who is on a contract which allows him to pocket £150,000-per-week when bonuses are triggered, played the full 90 minutes as Everton were forced to settle for a share of the spoils at the Stadium of Light.
The 32-year-old is at the forefront of Moyes’ plans on Merseyside, having been named in the starting line-up and worn the captain’s armband in each of the Toffees’ fixtures in all competitions this season, but his intervention allowed the Black Cats to get back on level terms less than a minute after the interval.
Everton are without a win since October 5, when they overcame Crystal Palace, while they have not triumphed on the road since beating bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 30. Tarkowski and his teammates will next be in action when they face Fulham in a Premier League clash on Saturday.
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