He's a sensational shot stopper but he is technically limited. His kicking is the worst I've ever seen in a GK, and if we're looking to get to the next level, you need to be more than just a shot stopper as a keeper, you need to be able to play it out from the back. I think we should probably be looking for another keeper, not as a priority, but Pope should probably be a 2nd choice keeper in a top 4 side. His ability on the ball is dreadful. Best shot stopper we've had since Given but worst keeper I've ever seen at PL level on the deck.
Plus point is his distribution against Man U was miles ahead of "ball playing keeper" Onana. I think this demand for a keeper to play in this way can be destructive as getting good ball playing skills at the expense of shot stopping is a fools errand in my books. Now if we can find someone as good as Allison then you take him but I think Pope is great for us at this point in time. With the injury news however, I would be very tempted to try to prise Ramsdale out of Arsenal as our long term number 1
You're exaggerating on a Munson level. Do you remember Karl Darlow's air kicking, Mat Sels flapping around like a lunatic, Mike Hooper letting in every ball that got shot at him, Harper being lobbed from the halfway line? Blah blah Pope is better than Given, Dubs is a reasonable stand in, but Pope is superior.
He's the best shot stopper you've ever seen, but he's the worst keeper you've ever seen at PL level for kicking? Do you only work in extremes?
I'm saying it because it's true. He's the best shot stopper I've seen at Newcastle, but also his kicking is the worst I've seen. It's not exaggeration, it's factual.
He's not old, but the shoulder injury is a concern. Best shot stopper you've ever seen? Shay Given disagrees. He seems like a top lad, great character, but he lacks not only in distribution but also some of his punching and overall mobility. Being very good at stopping shots is kinda par for the course from a 'keeper. He's actually third bottom of the table for xG against vs performance, letting in on average 0.7 goals a game more than he should be. I don't think he'd be hard to upgrade as his stats just aren't that impressive and his performances bar one or two examples aren't standout. For what it's worth I don't think we will replace, I think Howe will stick with Dubravka and Karius. Dubs overall has never been that terrible for us. I'd actually be tempted to see if Karius could get back to the pre-CL final levels. I mean, he helped get L'pool to the CL Final so there was a player in there. But equally I'd be happy if we brought in a new No.1 plus I think Pope would be ok being second fiddle.
