Did Sunday’s FA Cup defeat to Brighton provide a glimpse into Eddie Howe’s thinking for Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup final in less than two weeks? The Magpies’ chief has a host of selections dilemmas on his hands and there is one giant call to make between the sticks as Martin Dubravka and Nick Pope battle it out for the gloves ahead of the Wembley showpiece.
It was somewhat of a surprise to see the Slovakian regain his spot in Howe’s starting XI over the weekend after being demoted in recent Premier League outings with Nottingham Forest and Liverpool. Pope, who had himself been sidelined since December with a knee problem, was thrust back into the lineup for both games when deemed fully fit before being relegated back to the bench once more as Newcastle crashed out of the FA Cup.
“The selection was always based on the next game and just trying to win this game,” Howe admitted after the game when quizzed over his reasoning for Dubravka’s shock recall.
There is a consensus among Newcastle supporters that Pope is a better shot-stopper and Dubravka is a better distributor of the ball, while the latter has enjoyed a better patch of form in recent months. Pope shipped three goals in the narrow win over Forest and also had the finger pointed at him for Liverpool’s opener in last week’s 2-0 Anfield defeat.
“I think with Nick, there’s been some good bits and there’s been some bits that probably naturally when you’re coming back from injury, like he has been, that have been a little bit rusty in his game,” Howe said of the former Burnley shot-stopper last week.
“But I think that’s natural for any player. I think he’s got, I still believe, standout qualities. He’s a top goalkeeper. And yeah, I think he, naturally with his experience and his knowledge and understanding of his own game, we’ll know he’s got high expectations of himself as well.”
Howe, always keen to keep his players on his toes, has recently refused to offer a definitive answer on who will occupy the position between the sticks going forward. However, with this month’s Carabao Cup final fast approaching it is time for the Newcastle boss to make his choice and stick with it.
Allow the first-choice stopper for Wembley to gain momentum ahead of the big day, by offering them a pre-final run out at West Ham United just six days before the showpiece. If Pope is the man for the final, he must be brought back into the fold for both trips to the capital this month.
However, if Pope really is the man set to start against Liverpool, the decision to take him out of the side, and therefore adding to his rustiness, feels unusual. Many will suggest the Dubravka recall is a suggestion that the Slovakian is set to reclaim the No 1 spot this month – something many fans will have no issue with at all.
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/eddie-howes-newcastle-united-carabao-31121707
