James Trafford is the compromise for Newcastle United | OneFootball

Newcastle United fans appear polarised in their opinion on who is the better option, Martin Dubravka or Nick Pope.

Perhaps there is consensus in the view that neither are good enough?

After the takeover, when Newcastle United approached the summer transfer window of 2022, goalkeeper wasn’t a position which I thought Eddie Howe should prioritise. To be honest, I felt there were other areas which needed improving far more urgently if we were to build on the early progress we had shown in climbing away from relegation trouble.

All that changed when Eddie Howe was able to land Nick Pope for £10 million from his old club, with Burnley needing to generate income quickly following their relegation from the Premier League.

A move for a goalkeeper of that quality, available at that price, was simply too good to turn down and it was no surprise to most, when he was in the starting eleven for the opening game of the following season against Nottingham Forest, with Martin Dubravka moving on loan to Manchester United.

Notwithstanding his limitations with the ball at his feet, Pope was nothing short of sensational in his first season and his value to the side was never more evident than in the 0-0 draw with Leicester City which secured Newcastle United’s place at the top table of European football for the first time in 20 years.

One of the traits of the best goalkeepers in the game is the ability to keep their concentration, particularly in matches where their side is so dominant and they have very little to do.

That was unmistakable in the Leicester game with Dean Smith’s relegation bound side content to soak up pressure and try and grab a goal on the break.

The longer the game wore on at 0-0 the more the tension grew in the stadium. As the clock ticked towards 90 minutes it became less about trying to win the game and more about killing time as we looked to secure the solitary point we needed.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man, Nick Pope superbly denying a powerful strike from Timothy Castagne in injury time, Newcastle United qualifying for the Champions League and avoiding the lottery of needing a point at Chelsea to secure that coveted fourth place.

Despite his lay off with that dislocated shoulder, I think talk of his demise is both premature and exaggerated. The fact remains, he was bought by Eddie Howe to be our Number One and is better than the Slovakian.

Nick Pope is good at coming for crosses, he makes big saves and sweeps up, venturing outside his eighteen yard box. As opposed to Martin Dubravka, who is more of a shot stopper, plays very deep and is often reluctant to move beyond the six yard box, never mind the full expanse of the eighteen yard box.

Not having Nick Pope in goal, given his tendency to sweep in behind, is a problem. I think the confidence amongst the back four evaporates with Dubravka in goal, who despite his best attempts to adapt his style, lacks conviction and with that, his decision making is often unpredictable and flawed.

With the ageing back line that played on Sunday (only Livramento in his twenties amongst those who started against Brighton) we are much more susceptible to teams playing on the counter-attack, with the gap between the back four and the keeper becoming more pronounced. In other words, there’s a lot more room for opponents to play passes or run into.

I think Nick Pope would have saved both of Brighton’s goals yesterday and I hope he’s between the sticks at Wembley.

However, perhaps it is time for a change and as it happens, we are constantly linked with James Trafford of Burnley.

With Ederson and Ortega at the Etihad, it was always going to be tough for James Trafford to break into the first team when at Manchester City.

He spent 18 months on loan at Bolton Wanderers where he helped the Trotters win the Papa Johns trophy in 2023 and with an extremely impressive 22 clean sheets, was instrumental in Bolton reaching the League One play-offs that season.

After starring for England’s Under 21s in the European Championships that summer, keeping six clean sheets from the group stage all the way to the end of the tournament and calmly saving a 99th minute penalty against Spain in the final, he joined Burnley.

After a less than convincing 2023/24 season when Vincent Kompany committed the equivalent of football harakiri at Turf Moor, this term James Trafford has once again excelled, keeping Burnley in the hunt for an instant return to the Premier League.

In 33 Championship matches, James Trafford has only conceded nine times, keeping a remarkable 24 clean sheets. His save percentage is an equally impressive 87%.

When I saw that Burnley had been battered by three goals to nil in their FA Cup Fifth round tie against local rivals Preston North End at the weekend, I wasn’t surprised to see that James Trafford had been rested.

James Trafford is not just a shot stopper. He’s also excellent with the ball at his feet and his ability on the ball will provide direct passes into our midfield, so the team can transition more quickly.