Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe faces a big call on Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale during the international break.
Sunday brought another away-day defeat for Newcastle United.
A week after the Magpies lost 3-1 at West Ham United, Eddie Howe suffered the exact same fate at Brentford.
Newcastle were beaten 3-1 by the Bees despite taking the lead in the first half, almost the exact same script as the West Ham defeat.
Dan Burn’s red card really damaged Newcastle, but goalkeeper Nick Pope didn’t cover himself in glory either.
Nick Pope and Eddie Howe applaud Newcastle United fans.
Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
Jamie Carragher backs Aaron Ramsdale for Newcastle United start
Pope struggled to handle Brentford’s long throw-ins and flapped for Kevin Schade’s equaliser.
The England stopper was substituted for Aaron Ramsdale in the second half, appearing to suffer a concussion.
Ramsdale couldn’t prevent Igor Thiago from scoring twice, but he may now look to replace Pope between the sticks.
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Ramsdale impressed against Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup and has now received support from Jamie Carragher.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher suggested that Ramsdale is ‘too good’ to be a backup goalkeeper.
Carragher did praise Pope as a ‘really good goalkeeper’, but noted that he has trouble with the ball at his feet, and Ramsdale deserves a chance to start.
“Ramsdale is a goalkeeper who’s played for Arsenal. He’s played for England. He’s almost too good to be a second-choice goalkeeper in some ways,” said Carragher.
“That’s a real battle. And I think at some stage Ramsdale was always going to get the nod.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Ramsdale is in goal for the next Newcastle game. Yeah, I think Nick Pope’s a really good goalkeeper, but at times he finds it tough in certain situations, especially with the ball at his feet, and I think it might be time now to give Ramsdale a run, and they’ve got an international break to think about that decision,” he added.
Nick Pope vs Aaron Ramsdale will be on Eddie Howe’s mind
Carragher is correct in his assertion that this decision will be one for Howe to ponder over the international break.
Newcastle will take on Manchester City after the break, and Howe must find some answers after disappointing recent displays.
Howe must weigh up all possible changes, and that includes the quandary of Pope or Ramsdale.
Pope has been praised by Anthony Gordon in recent weeks, and he has so far managed to fend off summer signing Ramsdale.
Howe defended Pope against West Ham, but two poor away outings combined with Ramsdale’s strong Carabao Cup display mean a change may be needed between the sticks.
Howe will have plenty to think about over the coming weeks, but deciding whether to stick with Pope or bring in Ramsdale is certainly one of the biggest decisions facing the Newcastle boss.