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News
Jamie Carragher says £100k-a-week Newcastle star is ‘one of the best’ around
Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope has been described by Jamie Carragher as “one of the best shot-stoppers in the Premier League”.
Carragher was speaking on in wake of the Magpies‘ disappointing 3-2 defeat at Chelsea on Monday night.
Pope has been out injured since December, when he suffered a dislocated shoulder in Newcastle’s 1-0 win over Manchester United.
In the 31-year-old’s absence, the Magpies have struggled to stem the flow of goals finding the back of their net.
However, that’s not to say stand-in stopper Martin Dubravka is to blame. According to Carragher, Newcastle are having wider issues from a defensive perspective.
Nick Pope ‘big part’ of Newcastle team
“Pope is a big part of this team,” Carragher told Sky Sports.
“He’s one of the best shot stoppers in the Premier League and he sweeps up behind that high line and press that we’ve seen. It is a big part, but it’s not just about that. There’s more to it.
“If you look at shots faced in the game, you go from the fourth-best in the league to 15th. That’s not just the goalkeeper, that’s to do with the set-up in the team. The save ratio you would expect to be down.
“The one that stands out is conceding three-plus goals, being the worst in the league – eight times in the last 14 games. That is unbelievable. This is for a team who, last season, were fantastic defensively.
“In the past, when you look at Eddie Howe’s teams – and a different level of team with Bournemouth – if they keep going as they are, they’re on course to conceded 60-plus goals and that will have happened six times in seven years as a manager.”
Nick Pope not expected back for Newcastle until April
As per , the Magpies ace – who required surgery on his shoulder – recently returned to light training.
There were reports suggesting Pope could’ve been back by the end of March. However, Eddie Howe recently claimed the player is unlikely to return to action for Newcastle until April.
“It’s more likely to be next month, I don’t think we’ll see him this month,” Howe recently admitted. “He’s working his way back well from his injury but we have to be careful with him.
“It’s important for a goalkeeper to be 100 percent fit, especially with shoulder issues. So yeah, I think next month.”
Newcastle must improve strength in depth this summer – opinion
After Newcastle’s impressive 2022-23 campaign, it was hoped that they could build on it. However, a lack of strength in depth seems to have cost them dearly this term.
The Magpies aren’t looking over their shoulders yet. They’re on 40 points, 19 ahead of third-from-bottom Luton Town.
However, the European places are far away, so it looks as though a mid-table finish is the likeliest outcome for Newcastle this season.
This summer, it’s imperative for Newcastle to bolster their ranks significantly and ensure they have strength in depth as well as quality.