In a recent interview with Football Insider, former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson has tipped Newcastle United custodian Karl Darlow to leave St. James’ Park this summer regardless of whether the Magpies can avoid relegation from the Premier League this season. Robinson said,
“I think he (Darlow) was in with a serious shout of getting in the England squad before he got dropped.
“It would have been between him and Sam Johnstone. Johnstone has been exceptional this season but so has Karl Darlow. His performances gave himself a great opportunity of getting into Gareth Southgate’s plans but Bruce dropped him after an indifferent performance at Manchester United.
“It is always going to be difficult for Darlow with someone of Dubravka’s quality behind him. Manager’s tend to have a loyalty to their number one goalkeeper. It is almost like a comfort blanket.
“Darlow was very highly rated when he was young but he has struggled for game time at Newcastle.
“I think the way he has played this season, and how close he got to an England call up will give him the hunger and desire to go and play regular football.
“I think regardless of whether Newcastle stay up, he will leave this summer.”
Darlow’s Solid Season At St. James’ Park
Darlow has been a regular feature for the Tyneside outfit this season but lost his first-team privileges recently as Steve Bruce decided to replace him with Martin Dubravka who was back from injury. The Northampton-born talent has participated in 26 matches for the Magpies this term, conceding 44 goals and securing four clean sheets in all competitions.
The 30-year-old deserves a lot of praise for averaging 1.7 clearances and 7.4 long balls per game in the Premier League this season. However, he has often gone long when distributing the ball which explains his poor pass completion rate of just 45.7% in the English top tier (stats via whoscored).
What Does The English Keeper Offer On The Pitch?
Darlow has decent reflexes that help him make some important saves for his team. The English custodian can pull off a few quick dives to come to his side’s rescue and is usually a solid handler of the ball. However, his accuracy when passing the ball out from the back leaves a lot to be desired.
At 30, Darlow has still got a few good years left in his locker to play at a high level. However, it makes no sense for him to continue at Newcastle if he is not guaranteed regular first-team football. The experienced keeper would be better off sealing a move to another top-flight club in search of more game time in the coming seasons.
Can Newcastle Cope With Darlow’s Exit?
Martin Dubravka has proven himself to be a capable first-team goalkeeper for Steve Bruce’s side. Hence, the Magpies would have to decide whether they want to rely on the Slovak shot-stopper or let him go and reinstate Darlow as their primary goalkeeping option next season. All in all, Newcastle should not have too many problems coping with either of their exits if they can recruit another top keeper this summer.
