Joe Buck takes a look at his Newcastle United 2024/25 player ratings. This time, he analyses the goalkeepers to see how Nick Pope, Martin Dubravka and Odysseas Vlachodimos compare.
00:00So, the Premier League season has come to an end. Newcastle United secured Champions League football.
00:06But for us journalists, that means we can look, reflect and review a season which has obviously been one of the most memorable in Newcastle United's recent history.
00:14Now today, I'm going to start with my player ratings for the goalkeepers.
00:19So this is a really interesting one. I've thought a lot about this because for many years, you know,
00:25of many clubs around the country will have had one goalkeeper playing the majority matches and he'll get the higher rating and the substitute keeper might not even get a rating at all.
00:33But Newcastle, it's weird because Nick Pope started the season as number one, of course, and he ended the season as number one.
00:39But in the middle, maybe Newcastle's best period of the season, Martin de Broca did play in goal.
00:44So doing these ratings has been really, really, you know, difficult for me.
00:49Of course, we'll get the other ones out of the way first. Mark Gillespie, John Ruddy, didn't play a game.
00:54Big characters behind the scene, they obviously can't get a rating in this, but they are big characters behind the scene.
00:58Eddie Howe has praised them numerous times for their leadership, their experience and work on the training ground.
01:03So you've got to give them an honourable mention.
01:05And of course, you've got to give Odyssey's Black Adimos a mention.
01:08Now, he did play 45 minutes against, in the Carabao Cup, sorry, early in the season.
01:15That was it. And it's a really hard way to give him rating because obviously he did very little wrong in that game
01:21and you can't say that, you know, he can't get a low marking for that.
01:26He didn't have anything to do.
01:27He was against Wimbledon, of course, had very little to do in that game.
01:30But really, his rating on the pitch is going to be very low, but it's off the pitch impact.
01:36Signing from Nottingham Forest just to allow Newcastle in a deal that allowed them to pass PSR is huge.
01:43And that contribution can't go enormous because that is a massive contribution to not just the short-term future of this football club,
01:50but the long-term future as well.
01:51So if his Newcastle career does end this summer having played just 45 minutes, you know,
01:56his impact is going to be well, you know, long-term and well off the pitch.
02:00I give him a 5 out of 10. It's a very, you know, it's an interesting start.
02:045 out of 10 for me are Odyssey's Black Adimos.
02:06But now we move on to Nick Pope and Martin Dubrovka.
02:09The two ones which are probably going to cause a lot of debate among Newcastle fans.
02:13As I said, Pope being the number one throughout the beginning of the season and the end of the season,
02:17Martin Dubrovka, that period in the middle. I'll start with Martin Dubrovka.
02:21He was really good for that period. You know, Newcastle don't win nine games in a row.
02:26By fluke, your keeper doesn't have bad games in those periods.
02:31You know, he kept a ridiculous amount of clean sheets in a row.
02:34And yeah, Newcastle was just really good in that period.
02:37And Martin Dubrovka was a big part of that.
02:39I'm going to give him a 7 out of 10.
02:41I think it was very hard done by coming out of the team, especially just after he signed a contract.
02:45Of course, he made that emotional farewell at the Emirates or what I thought was an emotional farewell.
02:50Linked with Saudi Arabia move and everyone thought at that period, is he going?
02:54He didn't. He stayed in the team and continued to put in really good performances.
02:58So yeah, Martin Dubrovka, 7 out of 10 for me.
03:01Nick Pope, I would say 7 out of 10 as well.
03:05I'm not going to do half marks. I'm not going to cop out in that way.
03:08But yeah, Nick Pope for me, he makes big saves and big moments.
03:12You know, the Carabao Cup final showed that in multiple times throughout his Newcastle United career.
03:16He's the man that you want when someone has a shot.
03:20When someone's on the attack, he's the man you want in the stakes.
03:23And yeah, we all know his imitations with the ball at his feet and all that.
03:27And maybe the defence do look a little bit nervy with him a goal.
03:30But for me, he has been a 7 out of 10 all season.
03:33And Newcastle probably will look for a goalkeeper this summer.
03:36James Trafford, of course, Juan Garcia.
03:38They've all been linked.
03:39But I think if Newcastle started next season with Nick Pope in goal,
03:43I don't think there'll be too many complaints.
03:45Certainly not for me. I think he's still got a lot to give at this level.
03:48Certainly at least the season ahead of him.
03:50But yeah, I think it's too hard to split him and Martin Dubrovka.
03:53So that's why they've both got 7 out of 10 in my books.
03:58So this is the first one of a goalkeeper next.
04:01Next time you see me, you'll probably do one of the defenders
04:04or do one of the midfielders and do one of strikers.
04:06So leave your comments below.
04:07Let me know what you think about my ratings.
04:09But for me, my ratings will be John Ruddy, Mark Gillespie.
