Newcastle: Craig Hope claims Eddie Howe is frustarted by the club’s goalkeeper situation

Craig Hope has insisted that Eddie Howe is frustrated by how Newcastle United have ended up having to play Loris Karius.
The Lowdown: Karius has a chance to impress
It is simply the stuff of dreams for Karius and the worst nightmare for Nick Pope as Newcastle’s number one is set to miss the Carabao Cup final due to the red card he picked up in the Liverpool defeat.
Whereas Karius is set to make his Toon debut due to Martin Dubravka being cup-tied, although he may well have not had the chance to do so if Howe had not been persistent behind the scenes.
Karius was brought in at the back end of 2022 on a short-term basis due to Karl Darlow’s injury and it looked as though that would be it, although Howe pushed hard for the club to keep Karius amid Darlow’s desire to leave in January.
The Latest: Howe far from impressed by the goalkeeper situation
Hope has admitted on the True Faith podcast that Howe is indeed frustrated with how the situation has been allowed to unfold behind the scenes that will now see him being forced to play someone that’s not kicked a ball in two years.
He said: (52:00) “For all the credit we’ve given Newcastle United for how they’ve managed themselves on and off the pitch in the last 18 months and 10/10 top marks, they’ve got the goalkeeping situation wrong.
“To be so well-stocked in the goalkeeping department and end up with your fourth choice, I know Eddie’s frustrated over it, it’s not ideal and I do think they’ve made a mistake.
“Four players have been allowed to leave the club this season and on four occasions Eddie has sat down in front of us and he’s used the phrase, we’ve got to respect the wishes of the player, or it was a good deal for the club.”
The Verdict: Newcastle could be their own worst enemy
If Newcastle are to lose on Sunday they will hope it’s from Manchester United being the better team and absolutely nothing to do with how their fourth-choice keeper has performed as that will only cast a grey could over what’s been a stunning season.
PIF have been hailed for the signings and smart business they’ve done since taking over Newcastle with signings such as Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes proving to be great purchases, although letting Dubravka leave for a top-four rival at the start of the season is looking more and more peculiar as the days roll on.
Had Dubravka not gone out to Man United then he would indeed very likely be getting ready to start a cup final for Newcastle and it would’ve filled Magpies fans with hope given he’s played 132 times for the Toon and been a good servant, but now it all falls on Karius who is yet to even make his debut.
