Danny Murphy thinks Jordan Pickford should join Newcastle if Everton go down.
That’s right, your eyes do not deceive you. Murphy reckons the diehard Mackem should join his most bitter rivals if he suffers relegation for the second time in his career.
Everton are on the brink right now, dropping into the bottom three on Sunday. Burnley’s win against Wolves lifted them above the Toffees, and failure in the Merseyside derby left Frank Lampard facing at least a week in the drop zone.
There’s a very real chance Everton could be relegated from the Premier League. It would be the first time they’ve been relegated since 1951.
Similar to when Newcastle went down in 2009, there will surely be a mass exodus at Goodison Park should Lampard’s men suffer the drop.
Pickford is one player who could leave, especially with the World Cup on the horizon. He’ll want to remain England’s number one, but that might not happen if his preparations are spent in the Championship.
The 28-year-old might need a move away, and for some reason Murphy thinks joining Newcastle would be a good idea…
What Danny Murphy said about Jordan Pickford and Newcastle
The former Liverpool midfielder was on TalkSPORT on Monday, alongside Jim White and Simon Jordan. The trio were discussing Everton’s demise, and how relegation could jeopardise Pickford’s international career.
“It would be hard for Gareth to choose a number one who’s in the Championship – even if he’s playing well – over someone who’s playing regularly in the Premier League, of similar quality,” Murphy said.
“I think that would be really difficult. I think he’d be putting his World Cup place in jeopardy (by staying at Everton if they’re relegated).
“You’ve got to remember that, if you have a couple of bad games in the Championship, then you definitely can’t be chosen for your country. You can be forgiven a little bit more if you’re in the Premier League because of the opposition you’re up against. Maybe.
“I think it would be a huge conundrum for Jordan if Everton go down. One part of him would be thinking; ‘Stay and be loyal’. But if that’s gonna put your World Cup place in jeopardy… he’d have to have a conversation with Gareth.”
Murphy was then asked by White who he thought Pickford could join. He replied: “Newcastle, straight away. There’s one.”
That’s not the best idea Danny…
Bringing Pickford to St James’ Park would be a recipe for disaster. The only arguments you could make for the deal is that Newcastle can afford him, they’ve been linked with a new goalkeeper, and he’s decent at playing out from the back which suits Eddie Howe’s style.
The only person who might be happy is Kieran Trippier, who confessed to being good friends with Pickford. He told the True Geordie Podcast last month: “He’s a great guy. I know you’re Newcastle and he’s Sunderland but he’s a great guy. He’s one of my best pals.”
But that’s about as good as it gets.
This is a man who gets booed out of the building every time he enters St James’ Park. During his last appearance in the North East, I almost felt sorry for him because of the abuse he was getting…almost.
Tiny arms and inflatable dinosaurs, Pickford is considered a joke by Toon fans. There’s simply no way supporters could then get behind him if Howe decided to follow Murphy’s advice.
We’ve signed ex-Sunderland players in the past – quite a few actually. Javi Manquillo, DeAndre Yedlin, Ki Sung-Yueng, Jack Colback – they all played at the Stadium of Light before joining Newcastle.
But Pickford is an absolute non starter. Unlike those players, he’s a local lad for the Black Cats. From his point of view, he’s not going to want to join the club he’s hated for his entire life.
Every way you look at it, Pickford joining Newcastle would be an accident waiting to happen. Luckily, it won’t happen. It’s just the inner workings of Danny Murphy’s mind, and this is someone who thought Steve Bruce was the best man for the job at Newcastle…