Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was delighted with the performance of Kieran Trippier for their FA Cup win at Sunderland.
Trippier went into the tie under pressure due to a form slump.
Howe said: "He was excellent.
"I don't know about answering criticism. I don't necessarily feel he's in that position.
"He's just a top-class player and he showed that experience. It was vital for us in a game like this that we had our more experienced heads on the pitch making very good decisions and absorbing the atmosphere and then being clinical when he got the opportunities. I thought Kieran was excellent."
