Jordan Pickford has been assured that he retains ‘total confidence’ as Everton’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Pickford found himself under fresh scrutiny after two errors which led to goals in the Blues’ win over Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.
The England international previously faced direct criticism from Carlo Ancelotti towards the end of last season following a series of shaky performances.
But the Everton manager insists that Pickford’s position at Goodison Park remains unchanged in the wake of the mistakes made in the third round tie.
He said: “There is a lot of focus on him but I have to be honest, he started the season really well and he did a fantastic match against Tottenham.
“When he does make a mistake I am the first person who says, ‘you made a mistake’ because he has to understand.
“But I am not really focused on him like you [the media] are. For me he is a great goalkeeper.
“He could have done better against Fleetwood but the defenders could also have done better. We didn’t build up well as a team but that’s it.
“He has my total confidence.”
Everton have been linked with Manchester United’s Sergio Romero to provide fresh competition for Pickford alongside both Jonas Lossl and Joao Virginia.
However Ancelotti denied a potential move for the Argentine on Friday ahead of his side’s trip to Crystal Palace, adding “No, we are not looking for this.”