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Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe faces a big decision of deciding between Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka for the Carabao Cup final.
Eddie Howe admits he will have to disappoint players when he names his Newcastle United starting XI for the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool.
None more so than his two goalkeepers, with Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka vying for a starting spot at Wembley.
Pope has started the last three Premier League matches, including the 1-0 win at West Ham United on Monday night. But before that, Dubravka was in goal for the FA Cup fifth-round defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, and had been a mainstay whilst Pope was out for six weeks with a knee injury.
Eddie Howe faces deciding between Martin Dubravka and Nick Pope for the Carabao Cup final (Photo credit: Getty Images)Eddie Howe faces deciding between Martin Dubravka and Nick Pope for the Carabao Cup final (Photo credit: Getty Images)
Eddie Howe faces deciding between Martin Dubravka and Nick Pope for the Carabao Cup final (Photo credit: Getty Images) | Getty Images
So, when will Pope or Dubravka find out they’re playing? The likelihood is they already know but when speaking on Friday, Howe said: “Everyone will find out at the same time when I name the team, when that will be I'll leave that to myself, not to you guys. I think the team selection for these types of games is always difficult because there'll be players that are disappointed naturally, everyone wants to play in the bigger games, so I can only pick 11.
“Everyone has a role, and if you're not starting the game, your role is to support the players that are playing, and that's just as important as stepping out onto the pitch, because if you don't support your teammates well enough, that can have a big negative effect on the group.
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“Personal disappointment, I understand, but then you have to put it behind you and think of the team and the club.”
Howe added: “Genuinely, whenever I look at a team selection for any game there's always decisions to make. That'll be no different for this game because you're always looking at the opposition, your own strengths and trying to figure out what players need to go up against certain players so that's what we've done.
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“We don't have a huge pool of players to select from, that's pretty obvious. We have a very tight squad and in some senses that can help you in different moments and that can also be a negative but I think we're in a good place after the win on Monday night, that was the key thing and all the players are feeling a lot more confident.”
Nick Pope or Martin Dubravka?
Dubravka should start in goal. That’s the view of our writers Jordan Cronin and Liam Kennedy.
Debating Eddie Howe’s big selection call on the Geordie Journos YouTube channel, Liam said: “I think there's more holes in Pope's game at the moment than there is in Dubravka’s.
“When Pope signed, his shot-stopping was so much better than anything Dubravka could produce that you forgave the problems that he had with the ball at his feet. That level has dropped significantly, it could be injuries, it could be confidence, it could be the fact he hasn't played, it could be anything, I don't know.
“Dubravka, for me, is actually a better all-round goalkeeper because he can do everything. I'm not saying he's the answer to any questions, but he can do everything better. There isn't a glaringly obvious thing in Dubravka’s game, it is glaringly obvious Nick Pope isn’t comfortable with the ball at his feet, there isn't any of that in Dubravka’s game.”
YOUR NEXT READ:Newcastle United star 'absent' from squad v Liverpool as Anthony Gordon & Sven Botman spotted.
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