AARON RAMSDALE STARTS: NICK POPE OUT INJURED AFTER MARSEILLE GOALKEEPING ERROR
Newcastle's Nick Pope is out injured for the Everton game, replaced by Aaron Ramsdale. This comes after Pope's costly midweek error in the Champions League against Marseille.
After a shaky performance lately, including a blunder against Marseille, Nick Pope is out of the Newcastle squad due to injury for their match against Everton.
The club's X account stated that Aaron Ramsdale, Lewis Hall, Lewis Miley, Joelinton, Anthony Elanga, and Nick Woltemade are all starting today. Nick Pope is out because of an injury.
Pope picked up a groin injury in training the day before the game.
Earlier this week, Eddie Howe spent a lot of time during his press conference discussing Pope's situation.
Recent mistakes have cost Newcastle, more so when playing away. This led to calls for Aaron Ramsdale to take his place, which only got louder after Pope's error in Marseille on Tuesday.
During the Champions League game in the week, Newcastle was up 1-0 when Pope came out of his box, allowing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to score the tying goal.
That play shook the team, and Aubameyang then scored the winning goal minutes later.
As Craig Hope of the Daily Mail reported this week, Howe didn't give a clear answer about who would start but admitted he was seriously thinking about who to play on Merseyside.
Howe said he was considering all options and would pick based on merit. He also mentioned that he sees the players training every day, including the goalkeepers.
He added that Pope's shot-stopping has been great, making so many saves that it's almost expected. He noted that being a goalkeeper is tough and that Pope has been strong except for a couple of noticeable moments.
Howe said that he doesn't usually think about switching goalkeepers because it's a position that needs consistency. He wants the defenders to have consistency and understanding in front of the keeper. Changing the goalkeeper is possible but a big decision, and he doesn't want to rotate that position.
He continued, saying that Nick is very experienced, level-headed, and doesn't get too high or low, even when he plays well.
He stays calm and takes everything in. Howe supports him, noting that Pope has made many great saves this season.
But the choice has been made for Howe for the Everton game, as Pope's injury decides it.
Ramsdale is now in and will want to take this chance to make it hard for Howe to put Pope back in the starting lineup when he recovers.
EXPERT ANALYSIS: EDDIE HOWE IDENTIFIES "CONFIDENCE" AS THE KEY TO FIXING NEWCASTLE’S AWAY FORM
Despite a nervy second half, Eddie Howe’s side clinched their second away win of the season. Read the full Turf Moor match report.
Eddie Howe’s team barely scraped by Burnley, grabbing only their second Premier League away win this season.
The Magpies jumped ahead quickly with a goal from Joelinton at Turf Moor. Soon after, Yoane Wissa, in his debut Premier League start for the club, made it 2-0. Josh Laurent then scored an awesome volley, cutting the lead in half. Newcastle clung to their lead until Bruno Guimaraes scored a third goal during stoppage time.
It wasn't a pretty game for Newcastle United on that cold night in Lancashire. They needed those three points, especially after that tough loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Friday.
This win nudged Howe’s team into the top half of the Premier League, with Crystal Palace and Leeds United up next. But, let's be real, their play didn't exactly inspire confidence that they've turned things around away from home.
Eddie Howe shared his thoughts on Newcastle United’s win over Burnley. What’s the answer to their away game struggles? Howe thinks it boils down to ‘confidence.’
“I think we've been close before. I feel we're headed in the right direction when you look at how we’re playing, Howe said as he talked about his team’s showing.
“If you keep playing well, you’ll win. Manchester United is a good example. I don’t think we played badly, and we had chances to get more from the game. We didn't score, but we played well overall.
“I think we will win games because of the kind of play that we have, and that’s what happened. We're not feeling super confident right now, which is clear.
“But, I think it’s mostly a confidence thing. And the only way to fix that is to win the next game.”
Howe said this: “It was a huge win for us. I don't think it matters how we got it. We just needed to get it.
“We started really strong, knowing how crucial this game was. I can’t say enough about how the players fought through it.
“That second half was significant for us. We had to make it.
“I give the players credit for finishing the game and showing the team's character.”
Newcastle United now has a few days to chill after the win at Turf Moor before heading back to Tyneside for four home games in a row. First up is Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday. After that, they’re up against Daniel Farke’s Leeds United at St. James’ Park on Wednesday, January 7.
Then, they’ve got two cup games against Premier League teams. They’re hosting Bournemouth in the FA Cup and then playing the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Manchester City.
EDDIE HOWE ADDRESSES ALAN SHEARER’S COMMENTS BEFORE TONIGHT’S MAJOR KICKOFF AT BURNLEY
Alan Shearer sets a massive challenge for Newcastle United: win the next four games to ignite their 2026 Premier League campaign.
Before tonight's game against Burnley, Alan Shearer told Newcastle United what he wants to see in the next month.
Newcastle is currently 14th in the Premier League, which isn't good enough, but there's still a lot of the season left.
Even though Eddie Howe isn't in danger of losing his job, people are still worried about how the team is playing.
Another loss at Burnley on Tuesday would really increase the pressure. Alan Shearer thinks this game could be the start of something better.
Newcastle United Needs to Win Their Next Four Games
On Match of the Day, the Newcastle United legend sounded positive about the team's next few games and & thinks this could turn their season around.
He said, Yes, this could change things. A few weeks ago, everyone thought Fulham would get demoted, but they've won three straight games, and & now they're in the top half.
Newcastle needs to do that. Their next four games are against Burnley, Palace, Leeds, and Wolves. They have a good chance to win some.
These four league games are part of a busy January for Newcastle, with important Champions League matches against PSV Eindhoven and PSG and an FA Cup game against Bournemouth, as well as the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final versus Man City.
This period of games could really make or break Newcastle's season.
He should stay until the end of the season so everyone can make a better decision instead of rushing into anything. Hopefully, there will be more choices to replace him by the summer.
Where Newcastle Could Be If They Win
Let's say Newcastle wins all four of their games. It might happen, but those 12 points might just push Newcastle to just outside the top five or six in the league.
Aston Villa could get no points during that time and still be ahead of Newcastle before they play each other at the end of January. That shows how far apart Newcastle and Aston Villa are this season.
Still, getting to 35 points before the end of next month would really help Newcastle. The teams above them will probably also get points, so Newcastle might not move up the table much, but it's important for them to catch up to their rivals soon.