By Paul Robinson

18th Oct, 2021 | 4:00pm

Robinson makes Pickford claim after 'speaking to Schmeichel in the summer' about Everton star

Paul Robinson has claimed penalties are “more of a mind game than ever” after pictures emerged of Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s water bottle.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former England number one cited the information available to goalkeepers, coupled with the strikers knowing of it’s availability, as to reasons why.

Pickford’s water bottle was pictured by BT Sport on Sunday as Everton lost 1-0 to West Ham at Goodison Park.

The successful and unsuccessful penalties of West Ham’s takers were mapped on the side of Pickford’s bottle in preparation for the possibility of facing a penalty.

Robinson revealed he spoke with Peter Schmeichel on the matter in the summer.

“It’s a clever little reminder for him [Pickford],” he told Football Insider.

“I used to see that sort of image just before a game.

“It is more of a guessing game now than it has ever been. Strikers know that goalkeepers have that information now. They know that you’ve studied his last 20 penalties.

“There is no point watching all of the last 20 penalties he’s taken. When it’s important to know is when it’s a pressure penalty.

“Every player has their safety penalty. In a pressure situation, when the score’s level late in a game, nines times out of 10 a player will revert to his safety penalty.

“I spoke to Peter Schmeichel in the summer and he said he would go to the right three times, the left twice or vice versa in penalty shootouts. With the amount of information available, and the fact that the player taking the penalty knows that, you’re quite often as well served adopting that approach. It’s more of a mind game than ever.”

In other news, Danny Mills has tipped Everton to land two signings in January after a source’s £9million reveal.