Dubbed as José Mourinho’s potential last game as Manchester United manager, the weekend clash against Newcastle couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start for the Portuguese manager.
Conceding two goals in the first ten minutes, it looked like his fate was sealed, but a second half comeback ensured he stuck around for a while longer, as the Red Devils beat the Magpies 3-2.
Despite the scoreline, Martin Dubravka, Newcastle’s goalkeeper, still performed well, hardly at fault for any of the goals, and the Slovakia international has been highly praised for the way he has played ever since he arrived on loan from Sparta Prague last season, a move which was subsequently made permanent in the summer.
However, for the 29-year-old, his performances are pointless if the team cannot win, as he explained to Sport.sk on Wednesday.
He said: “I’m sorry, but if the team doesn’t succeed, I don’t really care about my performance, even if I make three or four saves. I try and build a great inner-well being in the games and I try to prove that I deserve to be in goal. The fight for a spot is very tough here, and I make use of every game”.
Currently 19th in the Premier League, Newcastle are one of three unfortunate sides, alongside Huddersfield and Cardiff, who are yet to pick up a win this season.
For Dubravka, it’s just a matter of time.
He said: “I firmly believe we will finally succeed. Always look at the performance. This team has a fantastic atmosphere and the whole club makes us very comfortable.
“I believe we will win, and we’ll bring some good back to Newcastle. We’re going to perform better and finally get a winning streak”.
