Everything Eddie Howe has said about Aaron Ramsdale amid calls for Newcastle to axe Nick Pope
Eddie Howe has a difficult decision to make regarding the goalkeeper situation at Newcastle United following a disappointing defeat for his side.
Newcastle were beaten 2-1 by Marseille in the Champions League on Tuesday (25 November), in what was their third loss in the last five games across all competitions.
Nick Pope was criticised for a huge mistake, allowing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to round him and equalise early in the second half.
The former Arsenal man then went on to score the winner just four minutes later, and Pope’s position in the starting lineup has now come under fire.
Eddie Howe has praised ‘excellent’ Aaron Ramsdale
Newcastle signed Aaron Ramsdale from Arsenal on loan over the summer, with the Englishman coming in as backup to Pope.
The 27-year-old has featured three times for the Magpies this season, and was impressive in a 2-0 win over Tottenham in the Carabao Cup.
After that game, Howe praised his number two goalkeeper, highlighting the impact he has had on the team during training.
He said: “His (Ramsdale’s) energy has been really good around the group. I think because of all that attention, he’s focused on his training and his work with the goalkeeper coaches, which has been excellent.” (The Shields Gazette).
Ramsdale has a lot of Premier League experience and has made 184 appearances in the top-flight since he broke through at Bournemouth in 2019.
Howe is clearly a fan of the former England international and is confident in his ability to step in between the sticks when needed.
Eddie Howe still backs Nick Pope
Despite having confidence in Ramsdale, Howe is still behind Pope and backing his number one shot-stopper to recover some form.
When asked about the former Burnley man’s performance after the defeat to Marseille, the Newcastle boss defended him and pointed to his display against Manchester City.
Pope made a number of important stops against City on Saturday (22 November) evening, and it is unlikely that Howe will have a knee-jerk reaction to one mistake.
The Magpies travel to the Hill Dickinson Stadium to face Everton in the Premier League next, with Pope still the most likely candidate to start in goal.