The signing of Tim Krul sort of came out of left field for me.
It’s been pretty obvious that Norwich have been looking for a new keeper, what with Daniel Farke’s recent comments reported in the EDP and various mistakes made by both Remi Matthews and Michael McGovern on the Germany trip.
But even so, Tim Krul?!
The guy is a big name. I didn’t think we were in the market for big names? Never mind ones who’ve played around 160 Premier League games. He was a free transfer too.
The reason this caught me out slightly was I was expecting a kind of Bundesliga 2 type of signing, rather than a a keeper who won a penalty shootout for the Netherlands in the 2014 World Cup.
You might remember that then Netherlands manager, Louis van Gaal substituted Jasper Cillessen at the end of extra time in the quarter final of the 2014 World Cup in the 0-0 draw with Costa Rica.
He brought on Krul just for the penalty shootout in circumstances that couldn’t have been any more dramatic and our new goalkeeper saved two penalties to send the Dutch into a semi-final against Argentina.
Yes, he hasn’t played much in the last two years but that’s mostly because he was injured badly in October 2015 when he did his anterior cruciate knee ligament while on international duty. It would turn out to be an injury that would keep him out for almost a year and cost him his first team place at Newcastle.
He was sent out on loan in the summer of 2016, to Ajax, but it was a bit of a disaster for all concerned with Tim failing to make a single appearance for the Dutch giants and returning to Newcastle in December of that year.
He then moved on loan (again) back to Holland in the following January and had a stint with AZ Alkmaar, which turned out quite well with 12 appearances and some decent performances.
A return to Newcastle the following summer seemed certain to see Krul challenge for the number one shirt at St. James Park, only for Rafa Benitez to tell Tim that he wasn’t in his plans.
That shocked the player, the Toon army and the local media and after 12 years of service to Newcastle, he was banished to train with the U23s before moving to Brighton on a free transfer and a one year contract, where he made 5 Cup appearances for Chris Hughton’s newly promoted side.
To say, Krul has something to prove is an understatement. Brighton have let him go and he’s been snapped up by Stuart Webber for the glorious Canaries. By the looks of it, he’s going to be the new number one at Carrow Road.
#WelcomeKrul pic.twitter.com/sGsiqACvyW
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) July 24, 2018
"It feels like a new start in my career."
More from our new stopper ➡️ https://t.co/jIJYxcXmOT#ncfc #WelcomeKrul pic.twitter.com/GL1TfW968B
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) July 24, 2018
Krul’s arrival will no doubt be a hammer blow for Remi Matthews and no surprise to Michael McGovern, who probably knows exactly where he stands in the view of Messrs Webber and Farke.
To sign such a high profile goalkeeper as Tim Krul and a player of his pedigree is good news for the club but let’s be honest, we’ve only got him because he has lost his way in the last couple of years. It’s the same reason that we have signed Moritz Leitner, Jordan Rhodes, Tom Trybull and Felix Passlack.
From what I can make out, Newcastle wanted Tim out because of his high salary and that’s why he didn’t get another chance after his ACL went.
Good teams always have good goalkeepers, it’s one of the most important positions on the pitch and I once remember Peter Grant saying, after signing David Marshall, that a good keeper could be worth as much as 15 points in a season to a team.
Let’s hope that our new boy can return to something approaching his best form and show the footballing world that Tim Krul is still a top goalie.
Welcome aboard, Tim.
OTBC