Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope was left out of the England squad for this International break, and former Premier League star David James has now explained why this was the right decision.
Pope is usually one of Gareth Southgate’s main goalkeepers, alongside Jordan Pickford and Aaron Ramsdale, but he has been omitted from the squad in favour of Sam Johnstone following a shaky start to the season, in which he has failed to keep a clean sheet.
The 31-year-old was impressive last season, but his performance against Brighton was particularly poor and has now attracted criticism.
Speaking live on Sky Sports News, James highlighted that Pope did not do enough to justify his inclusion in previous England matches, and his current form is not ideal.
“It hasn’t been the best start for him,” James stated.
“Long-term, when you look at the opportunities Nick Pope had in the Nations League, he had a couple of games and didn’t prove himself to be better than Jordan Pickford.
“With Aaron Ramsdale, he’s been playing very well for Arsenal and puts himself in a more preferable position than Nick Pope at the moment. Sam Johnstone, naturally, gets an opportunity to be looked at.”
Should we be concerned about Pope?
Losing his place in the England squad will be a disappointment for the goalkeeper, but whilst he has not been at his best at the start of this season, there is no reason for major concern yet.
Perhaps being out of the squad may mean Pope can have a proper rest over the international break, without the pressure of England performances on top of his rough form, and if he comes back refreshed, then he will likely find himself back in the next squad.
The Brighton game stood out as possibly Pope’s worst performance since joining Newcastle, and he will hope to bounce back from his errors when Newcastle host Brentford after the break.
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