Rob Elliot looked a little shaky against Tottenham Hotspur and there is no shortage of competition for the number 1 spot at Newcastle United.
The race to become Newcastle United’s number 1 may already have been won – Rob Elliot was handed the shirt for the new season and started against Tottenham Hotspur.
However, if solid performances in pre-season had convinced Rafa Benitez of Elliot’s suitability, the Republic of Ireland international may have allowed some doubt to creep back in at St James’ Park on Sunday.
Elliot, it is assumed, has been brought into the side to play the ball out from the back, with efforts, reported by the Sunderland Echo, to sign Pepe Reina – a fine footballer – failing so far.
But Newcastle’s 31-year-old goalkeeper looked anything but an assured distributor against Spurs, regularly misplacing relatively simple passes, and so other areas of his game were cast into greater focus.
Karl Darlow certainly has a better command of his area, something that was lacking at the weekend, and Freddie Woodman’s all-round game is far better than Elliot’s, even if he lacks experience.
With reports in the Chronicle on Thursday suggesting prospect Woodman has suitors elsewhere, Benitez could be forced into a quick rethink of his goalkeeping strategy.
As long as a new keeper does not arrive, Elliot remains an option, but he simply must perform better if he is to keep his place; Darlow and Woodman are both ready to step in.
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