Nick Pope daftness returns | OneFootball

Nick Pope signed for Newcastle United 32 months ago.

One of numerous incredible Eddie Howe signings, the England international costing only £10m from Burnley, as the pressure was on them to sell star players after relegation at the end of the 2021/22 season.

In my lifetime of watching Newcastle United from the 1970s onwards, for me, Shay Given is my number one NUFC keeper, he was brilliant. Given was superb and twice his peers voted him into the PFA team of the season.

Speaking of which, when at Burnley, Nick Pope was also in 2019/20, given that accolade, his Premier League peers voting him into the PFA team of the season.

On everything I have seen these past 32 months, Nick Pope is easily my number two choice behind Shay Given, as the next best Newcastle United keeper I have ever seen.

Anyway, what sparked this article, is that I have seen the Nick Pope daftness return.

Some Newcastle United fans going really bizarre and over the top on Nick Pope in a negative sense with him having returned to the team.

Nick Pope came back from injury in the Birmingham FA Cup match and was excellent. Stood no chance with either of the goals and made some great saves, one absolutely outstanding one. He also swept behind his defence so well, something his critics give him so little credit for.

The keeper then came back in the Premier League for the Forest game, along with Jacob Murphy he was at fault for the first goal, caught out badly positioned which is very much unlike him. No chance with the other two goals that were conceded as the defence in front of him failed to deal with a couple of set-pieces.

At Liverpool on Wednesday, no chance with the second goal and for me, very little chance with the first. Tonali not getting close to his man and the shot going through his legs AND through Burn’s legs, the defender standing only a few yards in front of Nick Pope and it getting a slight deflection off Burn.

The reaction of some Newcastle fans to these three matches has been beyond shameful.

Not only the massive lack of respect and support for a keeper who has been outstanding for Newcastle these last two and a half years, but also the sheer viciousness and over the top criticism aimed at him, so exaggerated,

Nick Pope has now started 69 Premier League matches for Newcastle United and conceded 75 goals, that is an average of 1.07 goals conceded per match.

To put that into perspective, since Pope arrived at St James’ Park, Martin Dubravka has started 33 Premier League matches and conceded 55 goals, at an average of 1.66 goals per game.

Over a full 38 match season, at those averages, Nick Pope would concede 40 goals and Martin Dubravka 63 goals.

This is not an anti-Dubravka article, I like him. As a back up keeper.

Simple fact is that Nick Pope has shown himself to be a far better goalkeeper than Martin Dubravka these last three seasons.

In his more recent starts, Dubravka had been getting put under more pressure and had conceded 11 goals in his last four PL starts, many of the goals he was conceding, I think Nick Pope would have saved. Including due to his better positioning and sweeping behind the defence to help them out, unlike Dubravka who isn’t confident enough to leave his box. As seen with the first Man City goal, which Pope would have came out and cleared for sure.