Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

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Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by Valentino's fast feet » Wed May 30, 2018 10:34 pm

We should do these threads more. Hopefully the first of several!

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Newcastle United have completed the permanent signing of Slovakia international goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka.

The 29-year-old becomes the Magpies’ first signing of the summer on a contract to June 2022 after the club activated its option to sign him.

Dúbravka initially joined the club on loan from Czech side Sparta Prague in January 2018 and he quickly became an important member of Rafa Benítez’s squad.

He kept a clean sheet on his debut with an impressive performance in a 1-0 home win over Manchester United and went on to make 12 Premier League appearances as the Magpies finished tenth in the top flight.

Manager Rafa Benítez said: "We’re delighted to finalise the permanent signing of Martin to Newcastle United today.

"Ever since he arrived with us on loan he has shown a fantastic attitude and great work ethic, and of course we have been very impressed with his performances for us on the pitch last season.

"This was one of the key positions we had identified we needed to strengthen and had been concerned about, so it is excellent news that we are able now to sign him on a permanent basis.

"The loan deal with an option to buy was the perfect deal for the club.

"It is credit to Lee Charnley and also Steve Nickson for putting that in place because it gave me and my staff the opportunity to look at him and work with him and see how he would perform for us before committing to signing him permanently.

"It has been very good business for the club and we now say congratulations to Martin and look forward to having him with us for the long term at Newcastle United."

Dúbravka began his career with hometown club MŠK Žilina and featured in the 2010/11 Champions League.

He spent two years in Denmark with Esbjerg fB, before moving to Czech side Slovan Liberec ahead of the 2016/17 campaign.

After making 28 appearances for the Modrobílí, he joined domestic rivals Sparta in summer 2017 and joined the Magpies initially on loan at the turn of the year.

Dúbravka has been capped ten times by Slovakia, and played against England at Wembley in a qualifier for this summer's World Cup.

https://www.nufc.co.uk/news/latest-news ... ravka-deal

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Whilst hardly a surprising move, I'm glad we've got this one done and dusted relatively (for us) quickly. When we were initially linked with him prior to January for the loan move I was skeptical. Not really proven, not young - even though 29 is no age for a keeper. Certainly proven me, and I'm sure many other doubters wrong, was a fantastic loan signing and definitely a big part in us staying up. We've solved the first of several issues with our squad that need to be addressed if we are to move forward, and it's a great start which will hopefully be a good summer for us. Striker is an absoloute cert for us, and I hope we look for proven quality rather than a continental gamble. We will sell Mitro (<cry>) and probably Gayle for maybe a combined 35-40m, so that should be enough to bring in adequate replacements. Rondon and Josh King come to mind. Whilst I don't much rate the latter, he's no mug.

Regardless, Dubravka! Which sounds like something you'd say when drinking a shot of something far too alcoholic.
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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by Donkey Toon » Wed May 30, 2018 10:44 pm

Great news and signing. Hopefully the first of many.

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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by Chappy » Thu May 31, 2018 1:51 am

Happy we've actually sorted a key signing in good time.
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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by Remember Colo » Thu May 31, 2018 3:55 am

Happy with Martin, and your post overall. But I'd hardly call Rondon proven given his mediocre return in his time in England. I know he was still playing in a Pulis side for most of that time, but still, 28 in 119 hardly counts as "proven" to me.

And I'll keep proposing that a proper #10 is just as important as a new #9.

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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by Bodacious Benny » Thu May 31, 2018 6:03 am

Great move.

So who's more likely to be moved on, Darlow or Elliot? Can't see us keeping both, or can't see them both happy to sit on the bench. Suspect it'll be Darlow who goes.
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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by krully » Thu May 31, 2018 8:06 am

This makes my plate of barszcz taste all the sweeter this morning knowing we signed a good player.

Only issue is we're a bit clogged up with keepers now

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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by Colback's Orange Tufts » Thu May 31, 2018 8:24 am

I think it'll be Darlow too. Young and ambitious, he could still improve. Get the impression Elliott is comfortable at the club
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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by Valentino's fast feet » Thu May 31, 2018 9:11 am

Eu estou Colo wrote:Happy with Martin, and your post overall. But I'd hardly call Rondon proven given his mediocre return in his time in England. I know he was still playing in a Pulis side for most of that time, but still, 28 in 119 hardly counts as "proven" to me.

And I'll keep proposing that a proper #10 is just as important as a new #9.
Maybe proven is too strong a word,I'll change it to half decent. I don't rate King much either, but I'm being realistic. And if we sell both Gayle and Mitro, we will need at least two strikers in, first two names that came to me to be honest. As for the 10, I completely agree. Perez has shown he's good enough for this level, but maybe not as a key first team player. Top scorer though, can't sniff at that. Not sure who we could get in for that role, seen some weak links to Klaasen from Everton, who has pretty much flopped there.
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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by Don Sholeone » Thu May 31, 2018 9:45 am

King hasn't done much really, not many knew of him untill he had that half decent season, now Wilson is fit again you are back to not hearing a peep about him.

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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by beatski » Thu May 31, 2018 10:15 am

Colback's Orange Tufts wrote:I think it'll be Darlow too. Young and ambitious, he could still improve. Get the impression Elliott is comfortable at the club
this <ok>

Elliot was initially brought in as a backup to Krul, whereas Darlow was signed maybe more as a young player with the potential to claim 1st choice in the long run.

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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by Bodacious Benny » Thu May 31, 2018 10:27 am

Yeah, King's scoring record is very average other than the season before last when he got about 15.
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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by Remember Colo » Thu May 31, 2018 2:23 pm

Bodacious Benny wrote:Yeah, King's scoring record is very average other than the season before last when he got about 15.
To his credit, he's played more minutes as a #10 and winger than an out and out CF, and 24 goals over the past two seasons playing a mix of those positions is a pretty good return. I'm not necessarily angling for buying him, he'd be really dependent on price, but I think he's better than almost all of our existing players in those positions.

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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by Bruuuuuuuuce () » Mon Feb 18, 2019 11:29 pm

For lack of a better place to put it.

Has Darlow's injury or exile from the match squad potentially caused Dubravka to make mistakes? With the last month or two leading to Woodman being the teams substitute goalkeeper, has this led to Dubravka perhaps being a little bit complacent?

I believe that Darlow's return to the squad will lead to improved performances from Dubravka, with Darlow applying pressure for a starting spot.

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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by Remember Colo » Tue Feb 19, 2019 2:14 am

saves = survival wrote:
Mon Feb 18, 2019 11:29 pm
For lack of a better place to put it.

Has Darlow's injury or exile from the match squad potentially caused Dubravka to make mistakes? With the last month or two leading to Woodman being the teams substitute goalkeeper, has this led to Dubravka perhaps being a little bit complacent?

I believe that Darlow's return to the squad will lead to improved performances from Dubravka, with Darlow applying pressure for a starting spot.
I think people overstate the significance of that sort of stuff. Dubravka didn't let that high ball slip through his hands because he isn't worried about losing his spot to Darlow.

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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by lassassinblanc » Tue Feb 19, 2019 9:13 am

Well having someone pushing you makes you try harder, but I don't think Dubravka has been complacent, footballers make mistakes it happens unfortunately as a goalkeeper your mistakes often lead to goals.
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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by Colly » Tue Feb 19, 2019 9:46 am

I know it's easy to say now after a couple of clangers, but his control of his 6 yard box hasn't been as good this season as it was last. He's become the typical great shotstopper Newcastle keeper basically. Still by far our best keeper though.

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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by Remember Colo » Tue Feb 19, 2019 3:56 pm

Colly wrote:
Tue Feb 19, 2019 9:46 am
I know it's easy to say now after a couple of clangers, but his control of his 6 yard box hasn't been as good this season as it was last. He's become the typical great shotstopper Newcastle keeper basically. Still by far our best keeper though.
I think there's also a risk that as a keeper does well controlling his box, the defenders become more complacent and leave more to him, or do less to help defend those areas. Now again, I'm wary of making assumptions about the mentality of players, but I just think that can also maybe explain what you're perceiving this season - with a good example being them doing nothing to mark Boly.

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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by ALF » Tue Feb 19, 2019 4:47 pm

Someone pushing you does make you try that bit harder(or crumble under the pressure) but we have to remember that Darlow is a really bad goalkeeper who is not pushing for a first team place.

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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by Colly » Tue Feb 19, 2019 6:14 pm

Can I choose to remember that Darlow isn't a really bad goalkeeper instead?

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Re: Signing #1: Martin Dubravka

Post by ALF » Tue Feb 19, 2019 6:26 pm

You can choose to remember it, sadly it doesn't make it true...

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