Nick Pope and Charlton

Chris_from_Sidcup said:

10 consecutive clean sheets. 16 in 24 games this season, the most in the big leagues across Europe.

Hasn’t conceded since 6th November. 

Nick Pope is the best club Keeper in the Premier League. He had the problem with the hard low shot at his body at times when at Charlton despite  being a good shot stopper and great in the air because of his height. 

At 30 he has developed into a fantastic keeper and was a steal at 10 million and Newcastle are reaping the benefits by believing in him.

soapboxsam said:

Nick Pope is the best club Keeper in the Premier League. He had the problem with the hard low shot at his body at times when at Charlton despite  being a good shot stopper and great in the air because of his height. 

At 30 he has developed into a fantastic keeper and was a steal at 10 million and Newcastle are reaping the benefits by believing in him.

Just our luck that Burnley had a firesale and let him go for 10 million.

wmcf123 said:

Addick Addict said:

wmcf123 said:

He looks he looks colossal - staggering improvement in only 6-7 seasons . 

Absolutely but, as I said when he was getting stick from some sections of our crowd, keepers take longer to develop. A full back making a mistake will not get anywhere the same level of criticism for making a mistake. A forward is allowed more for missing an open goal especially if he goes on to score the winner. A keeper making one will get remembered for that come one what may.

With a mistake comes even more nerves and more mistakes and it is only an understanding of how those errors have come about that gives a keeper the confidence to overcome those nerves. Even the most experienced of keepers, such as Lloris, can have the same doubts and they cause the indecision that makes those mistakes almost self fulfilling prophecies. 

The converse of that is Pope right now. Where he catches the ball cleanly, parries the ball to safety, where the defence knows that he's going to come for the cross and take everything with him and where they can push up in the knowledge that he will, each and every time, act as sweeper to the ball played over the top. A lot of those situations come from the positive decision making that confidence brings. 

There is, of course, one other aspect that helps in no small degree. The same consistent defensive unit in front of Pope that is allowed to develop an understanding between each other and the keeper - for Dixon, Bould/Keown, Adams, Winterburn or Neville, Bruce, Pallister, Irwin or Solly, Morrison, Taylor, Wiggins read Trippier, Schar, Botman, Burn.

I don't disagree with your comment, but he was letting shots through his body and I would never have seen him going on to have the career he's had. Delighted for him. 

Indeed that did happen but I would liken that to a batsman who is reacting to a ball as it reaches him rather than when it leaves the hand of the bowler - it's all happening too quick for him for the very reason that it is so reactive. And that is a confidence issue because, in the nets, you can bet your bottom dollar that the very same batsman gets his head and feet moving in the right direction but, when he gets to the middle, the nerves take over. And in the same way I would suggest that Pope did not make those same mistakes in training.

With the experience of being successful in games, goalkeepers do gain confidence and learn to put that one mistake behind them. This is the reason that they are far more likely to be on loan at the age of 21 and still at their parent club, even at League 1 level, than their outfield counterparts. Look at AMB - with us since he was 18 but only made his debut for us at the age of 23. Harness is 23 and hasn't made a League start but is still with us. How many outfield players have we got on our books of that age who are in the same position?  

We should also remember that there were visible signs that Pope was going to be a very good keeper even before he had a run in our first team - at the age of 21, in his final 18 games on loan at York in League 2 he conceded an incredible 4 goals in total in 18 matches with no less than 15 clean sheets (York ended up being promoted via the Play Offs). On the back of that, he had a taste of a regular run of games with us but, because of the mistakes he was making, he was sent out on loan again (and not sold), in order to boost his confidence and gain more experience. At Bury, again in League 2, he conceded just 10 goals in 22 matches with 14 clean sheets (Bury gained automatic promotion). So, in summary, Pope let in just 14 goals in those final 40 games out on loan with 29 clean sheets and both the teams he played for were promoted. That is unbelievable on any level. Pro rata, how many teams concede just 16 goals in a 46 match season? 

There is no doubt that making the odd mistake created a level of self doubt in Pope's head. He might, like Lloris, one day go on a similar run. That is the nature of doing the job and confidence plays such a massive part in that. Which is why I have always been keen to give a young keeper who shows that he has the raw talent and ability, the benefit of the doubt.