Karl Darlow has done brilliantly this season for Newcastle United. His early-season heroics, no doubt, earned Newcastle some vital points with some of his acrobatic saves. Darlow’s performances mirrored that of Dubravka’s from last season when his performances helped to keep Newcastle out of a relegation fight.
However, Darlow’s performances have slipped ever so slightly recently. That may be just enough of a reason for Steve Bruce to make the change back to Dubravka, who has only made one appearance this season since returning from his heel injury. That was an excellent performance in our 2-0 defeat at Arsenal in the FA Cup.
In an exclusive for The Telegraph, Luke Edwards is reporting that Steve Bruce will go back to our reigning Player of the Season, Martin Dubravka, for the vital match against Wolves at St. James’ Park on Saturday.
It’s a move that some have been calling for Bruce to make. Though as recently as the press conference for our latest defeat at Manchester United, Bruce explained why he was reluctant to make a change at goalkeeper. This is what he said just last week:
“He is [Dubravka] being very, very professional about it and understands.
“I have got a situation- we have got another very, very good young goalkeeper [Freddie Woodman] down in Swansea doing very well too.
“So, in that area of the pitch, we are extremely good.
“And of course, with a goalkeeper, you can only pick one of them.
“At the minute I have stayed with Karl because I think he deserves to be [playing].
“All season we have said how well he has done, and the one thing I need to have is to create that competition.
“So Karl has got the nod at the moment, but as we have seen in football things can change very quickly.
“That does not mean to say he [Dubravka] is happy, which I would not expect him to be.”
But as Bruce said, things can change very quickly. And if Edwards is correct, Bruce has done a u-turn and will hand Martin Dubravka his first league start of the season. He was on a streak of 88 straight starts in the Premier League before his injury.
Bruce did call out Darlow, somewhat, after the loss at Old Trafford when he was beaten at his near post by Marcus Rashford in the first half. This is what Bruce said after the match as published in The Chronicle:
“Karl Darlow has been terrific for us, I haven’t looked at it but a goalkeeper will always be disappointed to concede at his near post.”
If Bruce does make the change, it will be harsh on Darlow. However, he has to pick his best squad. If in Bruce’s eyes, Dubravka gives us the best chance of picking up a win on Saturday, then he may have to make that difficult decision.
473 comments so far
Tackle from behind
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:05 AM
Comment #441It’s actually known as a chicken duck (or a Chuck).
Sorry, I wasn’t trying to be flippant, just the chicken duk thing reminded me that it was a thing.
🙂
Adamn_92
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:08 AM
Comment #442I do get what you’re saying Mund, think we are all entitled to our opinions but the point OP is trying to make that as soon as we start pointing figures alluding to ‘pacts’ or ‘gangs’ etc, it just causes more divide and starts back and forth. I think people made me a victim as your opinion on who I was, was very different to a lot of others, so they stepped in claiming it was unfair. We’ve walked this road many times and I didn’t take any pleasure having a little back and forth yesterday, honestly.
The blog seems better recently than what it has been, let’s just do what we can to keep it that way. It’ll never be perfect but we should avoid ganging up, any alluding to ‘gangs’ or ‘picking sides’ and try to ignore things more if we know it’ll lead to a back and forth. I was guilty of that myself so I think we can and should all try to do better.
Optimistic prime
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:09 AM
Comment #443Mund
I was taking to “it wasn’t me”
The guy who still hasn’t acknowledged any part in the arguments.
Adamn_92
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:12 AM
Comment #444*pointing fingers
I really need to check my messages before posting for typos
Reilly
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:13 AM
Comment #445toon22 would like a word.The most jumped on poster on here.Glass houses lads.
Adamn_92
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:14 AM
Comment #446Away from this talk and focusing on football again, say we lose to Wolves Saturday and Fulham also pick up 3 points. Any posters who remain positive we can stay up, will your stance change at all? Or do you think we still stand a good chance? I obviously am 100% hoping we stay up, but worry if we drop into the bottom 3 at all at any point, our already low confidence will get worse and we won’t have enough to dig deep to get out of it.
Optimistic prime
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:14 AM
Comment #447Munster
I said to you
“Your son won’t be embarrassed running next to your mobility scooter”
How is that slagging your family off?
That’s me taking the piss out of you being unable to be consistent in your dates and stories.
You’re just looking for reasons to justify your continuous disgusting behaviour towards myself and others…
All because I asked if you were obsessed with Rafa, since that day, you’ve never been off my back.
Same as you are with several others who said similar to you.
Mund
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:15 AM
Comment #448OP you make no sense
Tackle from behind
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:19 AM
Comment #449I can speak for Toon 22.
Turds are not very easy to flush unless you can find someone to sell us to next year who has PR connections.
Hiya KBA.
Reilly
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:22 AM
Comment #450Matt Slater
@mjshrimper
·
13h
Football biz veteran Keith Harris on ALK’s Burnley takeover: “It’s as highly leveraged as you can ever make something…what has come as a surprise is that not only did ALK borrow external debt to fund the acquisition, they also used the club’s own cash.”
If Burnley go down they are fked,the next Bury.
geordietom
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:26 AM
Comment #451Adam …
who mentioned pacts or gangs i certainly didnt , example yesterday i think it was you jumped on and and done a bit of point scoring with your post about ‘ALTS ‘
so there for you were fanning the flames IMO …
lesh
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:31 AM
Comment #452Adamn
I have no faith in Bruce keeping us out of the bottom three and if Ashley sticks with him, we won’t get out.
Bruce’s record speaks for itself and this season, more so. He should’ve been moved out before January but…
Jail for Ashley
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:33 AM
Comment #453geordietom,
And you weren’t point scoring with your pea brained effort of trying to prove he was an alt when you posted one of his threads from eight months previous, completely missing the point of when he said he had first started posting. Not like you that 🙄
Mund
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:33 AM
Comment #454Reilly slower than normal fella 😉 I put a that up last night
lesh
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:34 AM
Comment #455Reilly
So the EPL approve Burnley’s owner and implicitly the financing but PIF aren’t acceptable?
It beggars belief
geordietom
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:34 AM
Comment #456jail …
i asked you not to speak to me asking again nicely please stop will you …
Adamn_92
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:36 AM
Comment #457Tom
Munda post said ‘I think what Tom is saying is there is the same people who like to have a pop about my opinion.’ So I was referring to that. Which is why my post was towards Mund, never claimed you said gangs or pacts. Couldn’t care less about ‘point scoring’, yesterday I thought Mund was a bit hypocritical in mentioning people calling the alt card as he had done so with me. Not fanning flames, just pointing out hypocrisy in something that affected me directly. I could quite easily turn around and claim your post this morning fanned flames. Let’s not get into a back and forth, I have no intentions to.
Jail for Ashley
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:36 AM
Comment #458The only people I see accusing others of ganging up on a poster are the ones who don’t mind wading in fists first in a group when it suits them. No victim pleas then, no thought for the victim. Meh!!!
geordietom
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:36 AM
Comment #459jail hang on a minute show me this 8 month old thread , come on Mr DE Lorean
lesh
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:36 AM
Comment #460I smell a big fallout looming… again.
Please, those involved, give it a rest before it gets out of hand.
Adamn_92
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:37 AM
Comment #461Lesh
That’s why I’m so worried, can you imagine if we go into the bottom 3? No chance he can motivate the team to turn it around, he hasn’t so far so let alone if their heads were to drop more.
Jail for Ashley
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:37 AM
Comment #462My apologies geordietom, I’ll try not to do it again.
Reilly
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:37 AM
Comment #463It’s crazy Lesh.Burnley could be done if they go down.
Jail for Ashley
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:39 AM
Comment #464I wonder if they’ll act if we fail to beat Wolves and Fulham beat Palace
geordietom
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:39 AM
Comment #465JAIL …
tell you what im sick and tired of you thinking im a thicko not the first time you said it ,
how did it fee getting your arse spanked off the wife the other week , didnt take you long to revert to type did it .
Jail for Ashley
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:40 AM
Comment #466It’ll be Jones if he does go, make no mistakes.
geordietom
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:41 AM
Comment #467Adam …
how long have you been posting on this blog ? …
Jail for Ashley
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:42 AM
Comment #468geordietom,
I’m not saying that, I just said your effort in trying to expose Adamn_92 was pea brained, it was, he’d clearly stated when he’d first started posting after someone had posted another link about something.
Tackle from behind
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:48 AM
Comment #469If we lose to Wolves an Fulham beat Palace – Bruce will sacrifice Graeme Jones as his scapegoat.
Jamesthefirst
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:51 AM
Comment #470Since Jan 1st 2020, Newcastle have a loss rate of 56%.
That is the lowest for the club in 43 years.
(@bigchrisholt)
Adamn_92
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:54 AM
Comment #471Geordietom
Why do you ask? I can’t remember when it was, I think it was Tackle who found my first comment from April last year potentially? Could be wrong though, would need Tackles skills of finding old posts. It was all talked about and posted in a thread sometime before Christmas I think.
Mund
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:54 AM
Comment #472https://mobile.twitter.com/DavidTe87676169/status/1364525890881937410
Tackle from behind
Feb 24, 2021 at 11:55 AM
Comment #473https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZaHnKurhE8