DAVID PREECE: How Nick Pope has kept 10 clean sheets in a row…
DAVID PREECE: Nick Pope’s movement reminds me of Gianluigi Buffon, his calmness on and off the pitch is a huge advantage – and you cannot question his bravery… how the Newcastle No 1 has kept 10 clean sheets in a row
- Newcastle’s Nick Pope has not conceded a goal in any of his last 10 appearances
- The England goalkeeper’s calmness and bravery are among his key assets
- Pope’s efficent movement also stands out while he is improving with his feet
With his latest clean sheet at Southampton, Nick Pope has gone an astonishing 931 minutes without conceding a goal.
Goalkeeping coach David Preece believes Pope is among Europe’s best goalkeepers.
Here he runs us through the anatomy of the Newcastle and England star…
Nick Pope is earning plaudits after keeping kept 10 clean sheets in a row for Newcastle
HANDS
Nick reminds me of the great Italy keeper Gianluigi Buffon in the way he is so efficient and economical with his movement.
His shot preparation is outstanding and he shows great trust in himself to make the save. He is never too low and gets himself in a position where he can react. He is not flash and does the basics in a world-class manner.
In a one-on-one, he resets his position from deep, putting pressure on the striker. From closer, he positions himself one or two yards from his line, when the average is three or four. This allows more reaction time.
Pope’s movement has attracted the comparison to legendary Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon
HEAD
What you are as a person does not always transfer to the pitch, but with Nick it does. He has a relaxed, down-to-earth demeanour and is calm on and off the pitch. That is a huge advantage.
A highly strung goalkeeper will make rash decisions. Nick never does.
After 10 straight clean sheets, his confidence must be sky high.
He and his defenders have created a trust and understanding. They will not think they’re invincible, because that breeds complacency, but there is collective belief that they are not going to concede.
Pope has developed trust with his defence to increase belief they will not concede goals
The England goalkeeper’s calmness is an asset to his side and benefits his decision making
FEET
The only thing you can question him on, perhaps, is with the ball at his feet. But he was not asked to play out at Burnley and you can see he is becoming more comfortable at Newcastle.
He is proving that he is capable of dealing with the ball. He has also become exceptional at making saves with his feet, which is down to his balance when preparing for a shot.
Pope made an exceptional save with his feet in the closing minutes to deny Arsenal this month
HEART
You cannot question Nick’s bravery.
They are very tight margins when you’re rushing out to meet an attacker and you risk getting hurt.
Nick does not think twice — there is no hesitation, as he showed when heading clear and clattering into Southampton’s Moussa Djenepo on Tuesday.
Pope showed bravery when he race out of goal to head clear against Southampton on Tuesday
The Newcastle goalkeeper has consitently impressed when coming to deal with crosses
But bravery is more than that. He is consistently in the top three in the Premier League when it comes to dealing with crosses.
You need to be brave to take responsibility in those situations, just as much as you do when putting your body on the line.
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