How Newcastle United are following in the footsteps of West Ham, Chelsea, Man United & others

When it comes to Newcastle United 'tests' it's fair to say Nick Pope probably won't have to many of this level during his time on Tyneside.

However, in his first hour between the sticks for United, he did have the odd sticky situation to tidy up.

The gold standard for any goalkeeper is to make sure they keep a clean sheet - and first and foremost Pope did just that.

A towering figure even compared to Martin Dubravka, Pope fills the goal like few goalkeepers ever seen at United, in fact it is hard to remember seeing a first-team goalkeeper as imposing in recent memory.

His lanky, rangy frame fills the goal and makes him a tough man to beat, which 1860 Munich found out at the Saalfelden Arena.

Pope was first called into action on the 22nd minute, as the German side began to establish their dominance.

A bizarre decision by the increasingly baffling referee saw Dan Burn penalised for a supposed pull on the shirt of Munich No.10 Martin Kobylanksi, right inside the D on the edge of the Newcastle area.

And with his view restricted due to the wall and the angles, Pope made the resulting save from the strongly struck free-kick very easy, as he dived to his left to turn wide. Cue chants of 'England's No.1' from the travelling hordes or Geordies further to his left.

On 35 minutes, Pope made a save that could prove to define the quality he brings to this squad - even though it actually didn't even matter, as the whistle had already been blown for a foul on Burn.

Kobylanksi again squirmed around Burn, fouling him in the process, on the left but his cross-shot was aimed for bodies in the middle, it didn't get that far though, as the sprawling limb of Pope, this time his leg, cut it out at source. Looking at the situation, he had no right to get close to it, given his starting position, never mind deflect it powerfully clear. But he did. Impressive.

Some positive claims and well-placed kicks and passes rounded off what can be called an impressive debut.

And the performance itself, which was actually followed by an equally as assured Martin Dubravka half hour, has laid down a marker for the Slovakian heading into the game with Mainz, in which is can be assumed United's No.1 will be given longer to shine.