Could there be a puff of white smoke for England’s Pope when the Three Lions head to Italy this week?
Gareth Southgate isn’t exactly short of equations to solve when England resume competitive action this week after a quartet of desperate Nations League displays last summer left some prodding the panic button. But a goalkeeper dilemma has emerged with Jordan Pickford missing with a thigh injury.
There are issues that may command more headlines over the next fortnight – how does the England manager construct a defence with so many out of form, for example – but there is a measure of urgency about the goalkeeper situation.
The official prognosis on Pickford is a further two or three weeks on the sidelines but Southgate needs an insurance policy – and there is not much to separate the three in-form goalkeepers named in England’s latest squad.
So far, Southgate has avoided anointing an official understudy but games against Italy and Germany offer him the chance to firm up a Plan B for Qatar. Based on their work in the Premier League this season, Newcastle’s Nick Pope might just be edging ahead in a close-run race.
All of the candidates can construct a case to play at the San Siro. Back as a top flight No 1, Dean Henderson is one of the few of Nottingham Forest’s cast of newcomers to emerge from their rocky start to life in the top flight with any credit.
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Pope, though, has arguably turned in the most complete set of performances of any of England’s goalkeepers outside Pickford. Since moving from Burnley in the summer, he has exceeded expectations on Tyneside.
“He’s shown already for us this year how good he can be,” Eddie Howe said of his £11m close season signing, who usurped Martin Dubravka at St James’ Park.
“He has kept goal so well – his distribution, his crosses, his shot stopping have been of the highest level. I can’t speak highly enough of him.
“But also as a character, the players love him. He’s a very funny guy, he’s got a very dry sense of humour, he’s got a big presence – when he walks into a room you know he’s there. He’s very popular and he’s settled really well.”
Pope knew that among England’s management the biggest question mark surrounded his ability to perform the sweeper-keeper role in the way Pickford has. He welcomed the chance to answer those critics after leaving Burnley in the summer, reasoning that Howe’s style of play would allow him to spend less time launching long balls.
During a long, intense pre-season at Newcastle, most of the work Pope did was on how he would help the team to play out from the back. It appears to be paying off – last season his average pass length was 52.8 yards. This year it is 42.2 yards and his accuracy is up too.
According to stats website FBRef, which measures expected goals prevented, he has stopped the most goals of any English keeper apart from Pickford too. The Everton man has prevented +3.4, Pope has stopped +2.4 and Ramsdale rates at -0.9 – perhaps a reflection of Arsenal’s fine form as much as anything.
At 24, Ramsdale may well be the coming man for England but he was part of the Molineux mess, shipping four goals as Hungary ran riot. Pope has the experience and form and deserves a chance to stake his claim.
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