Norwich City hit the jackpot with free transfer after Brighton release

Despite a poor defense that led to their share of humdingers on their path to promotion, the East Anglia team was scoring goals for fun all season long, with no team coming close to matching their 93 attempts that struck the back of the net. Under the German at Carrow Road in the early EFL years, it felt like you had a shot, we had a shot. As a result, the Norfolk team frequently needed their big Dutchman in goal to pull them out of trouble. Tim Krul’s acquisition was crucial as City won the championship that year, and the seasoned goalie proved invaluable as a free agent prior to the start of the campaign.

Tim Krul’s skill aids Norwich City’s bid for promotion.

It was obvious that Krul had what it took to perform well in the Championship after frequently donning the gloves for Newcastle United in the Premier League earlier in his career. However, after spending two years on the bench for Brighton & Hove Albion and in his home country of the Netherlands, the Dutchman moved to Carrow Road in an attempt to return to action and establish himself in the English game once more.

As seen by a 2-2 draw with Birmingham City and a 4-3 loss to West Bromwich Albion, the newcomer would have understood the task at hand right away, as the attack-minded outfield unit was more concerned with moving forward than providing him with protection. As momentum started to build on the banks of the River Wensum, Krul emerged as the last line of defense, and Farke finally found the balance between attack and defense after another loss to Sheffield United.

Krul was put into action far more frequently than many of his teammates who were also fighting for promotion, so even while the 57 goals he gave up was by no means the best record in the division, it was his efforts that allowed City to stay competitive in games and win all three points. Krul faced 192 chances during that season, which was equaled by 19th-place Queens Park Rangers, but his ability to keep the ball out of the net was ultimately what made the difference. This was in contrast to Leeds United’s defense, which allowed their opponents just 144 shots on goal throughout the season.

Players were attacking at every chance, therefore the seasoned player had to repeatedly repel an opponent attack while maintaining 13 clean sheets. With just one loss in their last 20 league games, Norwich soared to the top of the standings and earned automatic promotion at the end of the season. Krul was frequently called upon and proved to be more than capable of handling any challenge that came his way.

Tim Krul receives another promotion from Norwich City.

Promotion from the Championship was quickly followed by a slog in the Premier League that would ultimately result in relegation, as was the case with City during that time. Krul and the Canaries repeated the process in the 2020–21 season. After being sidelined from November to January due to a hamstring injury, the Dutch international returned to action in the new year, making 36 appearances during the season as a revamped City defense tightened up.

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