Norwich made a big move in the transfer window last summer when they signed Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann on loan for the season.
It appeared as though it was an ambitious move at the time, given that Farhmann had been playing in the Champions League for Schalke as their captain in the 2018/19 campaign.
However, he has been unable to oust Tim Krul from his spot in the team between the sticks. Krul, who played every minute of Norwich’s Championship-winning campaign, enjoyed a great start to the current season.
The Dutchman saved penalties from Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – although the last one was then retaken due to encroachment and subsequently scored.
But, how has he fared in comparison to the other goalkeepers outside of the top six clubs? Twitter account @Other14The has compiled a list of the save percentage statistics from every goalkeeper from teams in “the other 14”.
Twitter: Save Percentages for the goalkeepers of TheOther14 after #PL week 25. @Other14The
@deanhenderson now clearly in f… https://t.co/clt8z7TVJh (@Other14The)
As you can see, only three other goalkeepers are below Krul in the rankings – Tom Heaton, Angus Gunn and Jordan Pickford. Two of them, Heaton and Gunn, are not currently playing for their clubs, due to injury and poor form.
This means that, at the moment, Krul is the second-worst performing goalkeeper outside of the top six in this category, with England international Pickford the worst.
However, it must be said the save percentage is not a definitive judgement on a goalkeeper’s performance, as it does not tell you where the shots came from or the quality of the strikes.
When judging a goalkeeper and how well they have done, you should also take into consideration their ability to collect crosses and command their penalty area, as well as how they organise their defence.
Whilst it is hard to know how well Krul organises his defence without setting him up with a microphone during a game, he does appear hesitant when coming out to deal with crosses.
When he does go to catch a cross, his handling is impressive and he collects the ball strongly. However, there have been moments – Sheffield United and Wolves at home in particular – where you could perhaps criticise him of not being brave enough to come and take the pressure off of his defence.
Instead, Norwich conceded soft goals from crosses in those games and ultimately lost.
