Craig Hope has revealed that people inside Newcastle United see Loris Karius as worse than Karl Darlow and Martin Dubravka.
The Lowdown: Karius has one chance to impress
Karius' career is largely remembered for a single game in the Champions League final for Liverpool when he made two major errors that eventually ended up costing them the European trophy.
However, he now ha the chance to rewrite his story and make people see him in a different light as he's set to make his competitive Newcastle debut in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley due to Nick Pope's suspension.
With Dubravka cup-tied due to his two appearances for Manchester United in the Carabao Cup earlier this season and Darlow was shipped out on loan to Hull City - where he's yet to make an appearance - leaving just Karius and Mark Gillespie to fight for the number one shirt.
The Latest: A drop off in ability seems clear
Hope has insisted on the True Faith podcast that people within the club clearly view Karius as a worse keeper than both Dubravka and Darlow who is on the books of a League One club.
He said: (6:25) "People have turned around and said Karius is as good as Darlow but you've got to remember we speak to people behind the scenes and listen, nobody is saying Karius is rubbish by all means, but people are saying to us that Karius is a clear fourth choice.
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"I think that Nick Pope is way better than Dubravka, I think that Dubravka is significantly better than Karl Darlow and now if Karl Darlow is better than Loris Karius, it doesn't mean Karius is a bad goalkeeper but it tells you that you've gone from there [the top] to there [the bottom] and how can that not worry you."
The Verdict: Newcastle must be at their very best
Newcastle likely head into the final on Sunday as underdogs given the calibre of players Man United will have on display and the stunning form they currently find themselves in under Erik ten Hag, but the Magpies will still back themselves.
The Magpies have already faced Man United once this season and they did manage to secure a 0-0 draw away at Old Trafford but with their fourth-choice keeper between the sticks their task has become so much more difficult.
Given the electric form of Marcus Rashford who will likely thrive on the big stage at Wembley, Karius will likely need to be at the very top of his game and pull off some top saves to even hand the Magpies a chance of causing an upset.