Martin Dubravka has undoubtedly been Newcastle’s best goalkeeper for several years.
The £4-million Slovakian has hugely impressed between the sticks since first arriving on Tyneside in January 2018. His usual composure, distribution and shot stopping has lauded him with plaudits from fans and pundits alike. In fact, such was his immediate impression that he was recently linked with Italian giants Juventus.
However, the 30-year-old has now been at fault for two sloppy goals since the turn of the year.
Firstly, he dropped a shot against Manchester United and allowed Romelu Lukaku to open the scoring. Then, against Spurs at the weekend, he conceded another very soft goal when he fumbled Son Heung-min’s tame effort.
Toon fans have been sympathetic with Dubravka
So far, Toon fans have been very sympathetic with his failings, and rightly so because of how many times the ‘keeper has prevented clear goalscoring opportunities.
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The former Sparta Prague man’s efforts have helped him keep seven Premier League clean sheets this season.
However, his dealing with crosses has also come into question at times on the terraces of St James’ Park. If the mistakes keep cropping up, it’s unlikely that the supporters will continue to be as lenient.
With the season reaching a crucial stage, the club simply can’t afford to drop crucial points in their survival bid.
For now, though, he has the fans and his manager on board. A shut-out against in-form Wolves on Monday night will certainly help remove any doubts any supporters may be starting to have.
