**After his horrific blunder against Marseille on Tuesday night, Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope has come in for a lot of criticism.**
It wasn't just the error against Marseille that put the stopper in the spotlight. Pope has made several costly errors of late. Four in our last three away games, all of which we've gone on to lose.
Of course, it's unfair to place all of the blame for those defeats at the feet of just one player, but you'd have to be Eddie Howe to ignore how significant a part Pope has played in those defeats.
Newcastle brought in Aaron Ramsdale from Southampton on loan for this season, and the two were always sort of neck and neck when it came to who would get in the England squad, so they're at least at the same level, but we would say that Ramsdale seems a much safer option when under pressure. Pope may be the better shot stopper, but Rambo has him pegged on everything else.
It is time!
Eddie Howe was asked if we can expect a change in goal tomorrow
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Fans are ready to see a change between the sticks, and Eddie Howe was asked if he'd be changing things up at Everton tomorrow during his press conference on Friday morning (h/t [The Chronicle](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/eddie-howe-press-conference-live-32957521)).
> "All options are on the table. I need to think long and hard about who I pick and I will try and do that on merit. I get the luxury of seeing the players every day, goalkeepers included. I think Nick is vastly experienced and a very level character.
>
> "You don't see huge highs or lows. He is very relaxed and absorbs it all. Of course, I discuss things with all my players but Nick is a top-class professional and an outstanding goalkeeper, and he has made a number of top-class saves for us this season."
Eddie Howe seems like he's trying to justify sticking with Nick Pope
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We don't know about you, but that reads to us like Nick Pope will be starting in goal for Newcastle tomorrow afternoon.
It sounds like he's trying desperately to justify keeping Captain Blunders in the net for the foreseeable future.
Hopefully, he's just saying all of that to soften the blow when he does cut Pope, but we've had four years of Eddie Howe now, and we know how much he loves his favourites.