#newcastle-united

#newcastle-united

The role of a goalkeeper can sometimes be very up and down. But [Pope] has to see the longer-term vision: simply be at his very best; forget about team selection. The message to Pope was: find the sharpness that made you one of England's more reliable keepers, or you may not start.

Still, in dropping Pope, Howe started to prove he is not too loyal to some of his underperforming players. The worst thing he could do now is go back on that.

He's a young player who needs time to develop, as you can see now in Newcastle. So, I don't expect him to score 15 goals in Newcastle and then shoot us to a World Cup title. He's welcome to do that, but it would be extraordinary. I told him only last week to stay relaxed. We have trust in him.