He won’t make the headlines, but one of the unsung heroes from Sunday’s 2-1 win over Wolves was Nick Pope; a player Eddie Howe gave special mention to when speaking to the media at Molineux.
The game will be remembered for two long-range efforts from Fabian Schar and Harvey Barnes, but we’d have left Wolves in 6th place with two points less and a 2-2 had Pope not pulled off that superb save in stoppage time.
Not only did the big man show sharp reflexes and a strong had to tip away Cunha’s late volley, he made a couple of vital second-half stops to keep us in the game before Schar and Barnes’ pieces of brilliance won us the match in the final 15 minutes.
Speaking to the press, Howe described our No.1 as a “top class goalkeeper” and shared his delight at seeing him back in the England squad last week; even if it meant a “different dynamic” at the training ground in his absence:
“He made two or three great saves that ultimately end up helping us win the game. He’s a top class goalkeeper and I’m delighted for him.
“I’m really pleased for Nick. Whenever a player goes away on international duty, it’s always a different dynamic. With the players that we keep here, we can really focus on what they’re doing and we’re in tune with their performances.
“When players go away, they miss our contact time and there’s always that trust about how they’re going to come back. But you can see how Nick has come back, and the effect he has on the team.”
Different class, @Popey1992! 👏 pic.twitter.com/gaUi3to7Xu
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) September 16, 2024
Source link : https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2024/09/17/top-class-howe-picks-out-newcastles-unsung-hero-for-special-praise/
Author : Olly Hawkins
Publish date : 2024-09-17 08:47:49
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