Martin Dubravka was thrust back into the spotlight on Wednesday evening as he earned a rare start for Manchester United in the Carabao Cup. The Newcastle United goalkeeper has been clamouring for minutes in Erik ten Hag's first-team after finding game time hard to come by since departing Tyneside at the start of the campaign.
Dubravka marked his return from the outset with a clean sheet as Man United progressed to the last eight of the competition. However, two mistakes by the Slovakian sparked concern among the Old Trafford home support.
The former Magpies stopper first failed to clear his lines from a Burnley cross before sending the ball back towards his own goal, forcing Casemiro into a last-ditch goal line clearance. Moments later Dubravka let the ball roll under his foot after receiving a back pass from the Brazilian, leaving supporters panicked.
READ MORE: Newcastle United loanee Martin Dubravka speaks out after shaky Manchester United performance
It is proving to be a tricky stint away from St James' Park for the 33-year-old who was once adored by the Geordie faithful. A lack of game time under Ten Hag, lingering doubts over his future under the Dutchman and an ensuing struggle to get back in between the sticks at Newcastle next season all makes for pretty miserable reading for Dubravka.
Gary Neville, usually the mouthpiece of the people in the red half of Manchester, was the latest to cast doubt over Dubravka and his performances following the Burnley win. Reacting at half-time to the two mistakes, Neville said on Sky Sports: "This was very theatrical. He just had a very difficult few minutes, the goalkeeper and Man United were getting caught in these types of areas. This one is sloppy. It gets caught under his foot and then he is chasing himself.
At full-time he added: “He [Dubravka] was rusty. I think a few of them were rusty. They got caught on the ball quite a bit at the back. Burnley if they had been more clinical would have scored one more goal and maybe more.”
Eddie Howe's bold decision to go with Nick Pope from the outset this season has paid off as the England stopper now looks undroppable in black and white. The Newcastle goalkeeper has enjoyed the full backing of his boss after a stellar start to life in the north east.
Dubravka, currently working under a totally different type of manager, looks like a player that could really do with a good old-fashioned arm around the shoulder from Howe. Emil Krafth, Joelinton and Miguel Almiron are testament to how well you can recover from setbacks when Howe is the man doing the cajoling.
Fellow goalkeeper Loris Karius is another who has benefitted from Howe's methods this term. Brought in on a short-term, emergency deal, the German stopper was desperate to rebuild his career after a nightmare end to his time at Liverpool.
He too has found game time hard to come by but has plugged away in the background, impressed in Saudi Arabia when making his debut and is on his way to restoring his once impressive reputation. A new deal at Newcastle has been mooted in recent weeks.
Dubravka may well get the same treatment should he decide to offer his services to Newcastle at the end of the season. However, an early return to his parent clubs looks unlikely at this stage. Howe recently admitted talks would happen in the near future regarding the player and his future.
"There will be a time when I will sit down with him and have a chat and see what he wants to do next," Howe told reporters earlier this season. "It's difficult for me to comment. I don't know what goes on at any other football club."
Dubravka's form has surprised and shocked those who know him well. Such is the short-term nature of footballing reputations, it is easy to forget the veteran stopper saved Newcastle on many an occasion over the years.
Playing a big role in Newcastle's retaining their top flight status over many seasons, Dubravka's reputation among the St James' Park faithful should not be diminished due to the direction his career has taken in recent months. There is still a player in there, as fans have seen across the years. It may just take some of that Eddie Howe magic to restore him to his former self.
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