Newcastle United benched Martin Dubravka for Nick Pope against Nottingham Forest.
Around 75 minutes before kick-off, Newcastle United fans were met with a few surprises as the team news for the clash with Nottingham Forest was revealed.
The changes didn’t sit well with everyone—especially one squad member’s family. Howe made three adjustments for the 4-3 victory. Tino Livramento replaced the out-of-form Kieran Trippier, which wasn’t unexpected after the 4-0 loss to Man City. However, Lewis Miley starting over Sandro Tonali raised eyebrows, even though the Italian had missed training earlier in the week.
The biggest shock, however, came in goal. Martin Dubravka, who had started the last 14 games, was dropped for Nick Pope.
After Pope suffered a knee injury in December, Dubravka stepped up with calm, composed performances. His shot-stopping and ball-playing ability brought stability to the team. Even when Pope regained fitness, Howe stuck with Dubravka and even convinced him to reject a move to Saudi Arabia in January.
Just days ago, Dubravka signed a new Newcastle contract, announced on Thursday. Yet, despite committing his future to the club, he was suddenly left out of the starting lineup.
His wife, Lucia Dubravka, seemed to voice her frustration on Instagram, posting a picture of St James’ Park with the caption, “Nothing in life is fair.”
While her exact intent is unclear, the timing and context strongly suggest it was a reaction to her husband being dropped. If so, she has a point—Dubravka played a key role in Newcastle’s Premier League resurgence and their Carabao Cup final run.
Eddie Howe explains goalkeeper decision
Howe addressed the decision, acknowledging it wasn’t an easy one.
“It was a big decision. They’re all big decisions,” he said. “I understand why the goalkeeper’s highlighted because there’s only one. But it’s always with a view to trying to pick a team to win a football match. That’s what I did today.”
On Pope’s performance and the differences between the two goalkeepers, Howe added:
“I value both goalkeepers that have played this year, Martin and Nick. Nick’s got his strengths. Martin’s got his strengths.
“I thought Nick actually distributed the ball really well. He was a part of two goals today. It helps us with set plays and the physical threat, which we didn’t do well enough with our outfield players. But he’ll be disappointed to concede three goals, that’s for sure.”
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