Newcastle had to fight hard to avoid an FA Cup upset on Tuesday evening as they eventually defeated Oxford United 3-2 after extra-time.
The tie had already been taken to a replay as it took over 180 minutes for the two sides to be separated.
Given Oxford are severely inferior opposition, sitting in League One, it was rather embarrassing on Newcastle’s part as it took a sensational solo effort from Allan Saint-Maximin to win the game.
Unsurprisingly, some Magpies players took stick but one man in particular who was slated was goalkeeper Karl Darlow.
The stopper showed lightning-quick reflexes in the first half to deny a rasping effort from close range with the score at 2-0 but he could have done better for the free-kick he let in during the second period.
A dipping shot from outside the area somehow found the net despite Darlow getting a strong hand to the ball. This moment, among others, gained him some serious heat on Twitter. One fan was quick to call out the 29-year-old’s positioning.
Such was his performance, letting in two goals, that he was slated mercilessly by some supporters for his role throughout the match.
Whether or now it was warranted, Darlow produced three saves from the five efforts that were on target from Oxford United.
Who is that?! Nobody has been able to name the teams all of these obscure managers were once in charge of…
Unconvincing for their opponent’s first strike, some fans questioned why he was in the team. One suggested Martin Dubravka was clearly the better option while another urged Freddie Woodman to be Newcastle’s no.2 between the sticks.
Other reaction centred around just how poor certain Newcastle supporters think the goalkeeper is, slamming not only his performance on the night but also his general qualities over a period of time.
Although he could have done better for the first goal, it wasn’t a huge howler so claims that he was terrible and playing like a Sunday League player were rather harsh.
The north-east outfit still made it through the tie so thankfully Darlow didn’t cost Steve Bruce’s men the game.
Meanwhile, one Newcastle flop is bettering Antoine Griezmann in 2019/20…