Eddie Howe refuses to criticise £10m Newcastle player who is out of form right now

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Eddie Howe has plenty of players who are underperforming right now, one of which is Nick Pope.

Newcastle United had an incredible defensive record last season, and it was largely down to the man in between the sticks.

Pope enjoyed a sensational debut year on Tyneside, having arrived for £10million from Burnley. He immediately proved to be an astute addition, and played a hugely important role in the Magpies qualifying for the Champions League.

However, he was suffering with a hand injury for a long time, and eventually underwent surgery once Newcastle’s place in the top four was confirmed.

That forced him to miss the majority of pre-season, but he was able to return in time to get some minutes under his belt and start the new campaign as Newcastle’s number one.

But while he has returned to fitness, Pope has struggled for form. He has not been at the level he was last season, and was particularly poor during the 3-1 defeat to Brighton.

The 31-year-old was massively at fault for Brighton’s first goal, and received criticism from former goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.

To further compound his misery, Pope also missed out on the England squad.

Eddie Howe completely backs Nick Pope

It has been a tough few weeks for Pope, but Howe has no concerns. He has spoke to the media ahead of the game against Brentford, and would not comment on the criticism his goalkeeper has received.

“I haven’t seen the comments,” he said.

“I’d just reiterate my feelings on Nick. I think he’s a top goalkeeper, an outstanding player for us last year. He was immense – a big contributing factor to the fact we had such a good defensive record and was so consistent as a team.

“It’s the nature of a goalkeeper’s job, I’m afraid. Whenever goals go in you’re always judged and looked at. But he’s a player of huge quality for us.”

Newcastle goalkeeper will bounce back

This is merely a rough patch for Pope, and it comes at a time when a lot of his teammates are struggling for form. However, goalkeepers are always under more scrutiny.

But Pope will no doubt get back to his best – hopefully starting against Brentford on Saturday evening. It is a must-win game for the Magpies, and Howe will be keen for his underperforming players to stop the rot and get out of their rut.

That includes Pope, who will know that he can play a lot better than he has been.