Loris Karius backed for ‘redemption’ ahead of Man Utd vs Newcastle United

Loris Karius should be over his Champions League heartbreak by now, according to a former goalkeeper.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Former England goalkeeper David James is backing Loris Karius to bounce back from his Champions League heartbreak in this Sunday’s Carabao Cup final.

Newcastle United are being forced to turn to Karius following Nick Pope’s red card last weekend, meaning he will be suspended for this weekend’s Carabao Cup final with Manchester United. Back-up goalkeeper Martin Dubravka is cup-tied for this one due to playing for the Red Devils in the competition during a loan spell earlier this season.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Karius has been out of the spotlight since his rather disastrous Champions League final performance five years ago, spending time out on loan during the last few years of his Liverpool career, ahead of joining Newcastle last year.

The German will play another final this week, though, and former Liverpool goalkeeper James has backed him for ‘redemption’.

“I though tthe sending off was harsh until I saw it on the replay, I thought there was a covering man on the line,” he told Sky Sports News. “ But for Nick Pope, that’s a very unfortunate moment. With Karius, having worked under Eddie Howe, I think the work that Karius would have been doing leading up to this would have been in preparation for any kind of eventuality, and with Pope suspended and Dubravka cup-tied, Karius was already in line anyway.

“The one thing he should have in front of him is a solid defence. Newcastle’s success this season has been based on their solid defence and Nick Pope.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Asked about any possible lingering effects Karius will be feeling, James added: “It’s down to the individual. What was lost in all that discussion...I was there myself, and the first thing I remember was that (Sergio) Ramos had that collision with Karius three minutes before the Benzema goal.

“There was a question of concussion. As long as you can deal with the problem post-match, with sports psychologists or whatever, I did liken it to Posttraumatic Stress situation because you have millions or billions of people watching it and effectively blaming one individual.

“If he can deal with that, which he has had time to do, he should be looking at this as a chance for redemption in other people’s eyes and a chance to prove himself in his own eyes. So, from a moment of real negativity, he has a chance to become almost a Roy of the Rovers goalkeeper...Billy the Fish.”