Eddie Howe says he will ‘think long and hard’ about Newcastle goalkeeper decision – The Athletic
Eddie Howe will “think long and hard” about who will start in goal for Newcastle United at Everton after Nick Pope’s series of high-profile errors.
A growing section of supporters have been calling for Aaron Ramsdale, 27, to be promoted into the side after Pope’s costly mistakes in defeats at West Ham United, Brentford and Marseille.
The Newcastle head coach has insisted that he will make a decision “on merit”, based on performances in matches and training, even if he admitted he would prefer not to “rotate” his goalkeepers.
“All options of course are on the table for me,” Howe said of the goalkeeper situation at his pre-match press conference on Friday. “I need to think long and hard about who I pick. I’ll try to do that on merit. I get the luxury of seeing players training every day, including goalkeepers.
“His (Pope’s) shot-stopping has been incredible. He delivers so many saves that it’s almost expected. The life of a goalkeeper is on a knife-edge. It’s been very strong apart from a couple of high-profile moments.
“I’d say you don’t necessarily naturally think about rotating a goalkeeper, at least in my mind. It’s a position of consistency and you want to give the defenders in front of them consistency and understanding.
“Changing goalkeeper is possible, of course, but doing so is a big thing. Certainly rotating the goalkeeper position is not something I want to do.”
Howe praised Pope’s shot-stopping (Warren Little/Getty Images)
Howe revealed that he has spoken to Pope, 33, since the Marseille game, when he rushed out of his goal and allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to equalise, although he insisted he chats to all of his players between games.
“Nick is vastly experienced. He’s a very level character,” Howe said. “You don’t see him high or low. He’s calm and relaxed and absorbs it all, even when he makes world-class saves on a regular basis.
“You don’t wear your emotions for everyone to see. I discuss all the things with my players on a regular basis. We certainly back him. He’s made a number of amazing saves for us this season.”
Pushed as to whether he would listen to Newcastle fan opinion and make the change, Howe suggested he would try to shut out any external noise.
“Of course I respect supporter opinions but ultimately I am paid to do a job,” said Howe. “I have to wrestle with my thoughts. It’s never a 100 per cent decision, there are always counter-thoughts and it’s never easy because you’re dealing with very good players.
“While I acknowledge the supporter opinion — I don’t really know (about it) as I don’t go there and I try to stay true to myself — but I have to make the decision.”
Newcastle pursued James Trafford for more than a year before losing out on the England international to Manchester City during the summer, who had a buyback clause they could activate. At that point, Newcastle pivoted to bringing in Ramsdale on a season-long loan with an option to buy from Southampton.
“Aaron’s role here was to come in and compete and fight, bring good harmony and energy. He’s done all that,” Howe said. “I’ve been really pleased with him. Nick is an outstanding goalkeeper too, so is Aaron. I’ve got two players to choose from.”
Howe’s important selection call
For the first time since Pope joined Newcastle during the summer of 2022, there are serious questions being asked by supporters about his suitability to remain No 1.
Martin Dubravka had impressive spells deputising when Pope was injured, especially midway through last season, but the expectation was always that the England international would be restored once fully fit. Now, belief among the fan-base in Pope is draining away swiftly.
It has been a curious season for the 33-year-old so far.
He started the campaign with some magnificent saves, winning points for Newcastle in the process, and even received a recall to the England squad earlier this month. Yet Pope made costly mistakes at West Ham, Brentford and Marseille, all of which led to equalisers for opponents who eventually went on to win, and the decision-making which preceded the most recent of those in France was as inexplicable as it was inexcusable.
As faith in Pope has diminished among a growing section of supporters, their want for Ramsdale has grown substantially. When the 27-year-old was signed during the summer, concerns were raised about his own propensity for making errors and yet Ramsdale is now seen by many fans as potentially offering greater surety than Pope.
If Howe starts Pope and he is at fault for another concession at Everton, then the head coach will come under significant scrutiny. But if he drops Pope and brings in Ramsdale and the switch does not immediately work, then it will be very difficult for Howe to reverse that decision.
Few selection calls have ever felt as important as this one does now for Howe. The suspicion is he will afford Pope at least one chance, but he has left open the possibility of dropping his No 1 for the match on Merseyside.
