Oh, Ben Godfrey. We’ve all been there, haven’t we? One minute, you’re confidently going about your business, and the next, everything you do is just… wrong. And when you’re playing left-back instead of your usual central defender position, it’s even easier for things to go pear-shaped.

Unfortunately for Godfrey, his shaky performance didn’t go unnoticed during the recent match between Manchester United and Everton. Godfrey looked, well, a bit out of his depth at times, letting balls sail past him and getting caught out on more than one occasion.

Never one to hold back, England legend Stuart Pearce had some choice words to say about Godfrey’s less-than-stellar showing. Speaking live at Old Trafford for talkSPORT, Pearce was left “astounded” by the poor defending on display.

“Godfrey is five yards in his own half, he’s looking at the flight of the ball thinking, ‘I’ve got it, I’ve got it, I’ve got it, ohhh it’s gone behind me!’ It’s awful defending. If I was [Sean] Dyche, I would take Godfrey off the pitch. I think he’s having a disaster,” said Pearce.

Well, Dyche apparently agreed because Godfrey was replaced by Vitalii Mykolenko at half-time. The shake-up seemed to work in Manchester United’s favor, as they went on to secure a 2-0 victory against Everton.

This result put Erik ten Hag’s side in third place in the Premier League, while Everton remains precariously perched at 16th, just outside the bottom three based on goal difference.

Of course, we can’t pin everything on Godfrey’s less-than-stellar performance; injuries and missed opportunities also played a part in the overall outcome. But one thing’s for sure: next time Godfrey takes the pitch, he’s going to want to prove he can bounce back from this “disaster.”

We all have our off days, Ben. Here’s to hoping yours is well and truly behind you, and that you can get back to being the “very genuine player” that Pearce and many others know you to be. Because, as we all know, the beautiful game is nothing if not unpredictable – and that’s why we love it.