Carlo Ancelotti has spoken about Jordan Pickford’s assault on Virgil van Dijk that will see the Dutchman miss the season.
Everton’s cowardly keeper scissored Virgil’s standing leg in the opening stages of the Merseyside Derby – somehow avoiding a red-card or any FA retrospective action.
We know that Pickford didn’t set out to injury van Dijk. We’re not stupid. But that doesn’t hide the fact that stupidity and recklessness caused the issue – as it did previously with Dele Alli.
Drunk drivers don’t intend to cause accidents – but they inevitably do because their actions are idiotic.
Ancelotti has stated that Pickford is ‘sad and disappointed,’ and we can only hope he’s apologised to van Dijk privately, because publicly he’s been silent.
Paul Joyce tweeted Ancelotti’s quotes on the subject:
Carlo Ancelotti on Jordan Pickford challenge on Virgil van Dijk 1/3: “To be clear, we are really sorry for the injury of Virgil van Dijk. Jordan arrived a little bit later but his intention was to try to reach the ball. It was not to hurt Virgil van Dijk.”
— paul joyce (@_pauljoyce) October 22, 2020
2/3 Ancelotti: “To say it was premeditated, and this and that, in my opinion, is too much. Virgil van Dijk knows this. Jordan is really sad, really disappointed (that he is injured).
— paul joyce (@_pauljoyce) October 22, 2020
In fairness, it’s probably more of a punishment for Everton is Pickford is allowed to continue between their sticks, because his head is clearly in a weird place and he’ll cost them.