Tim Krul: The highs and lows of a great servant whose time at NUFC was clearly up

A bit of surprise news this week saw the permanent departure of long serving and adopted Geordie, Tim Krul, to Brighton. The surprise came that a one year loan has already been agreed last month, effectively taking Krul up to the end of his existing Newcastle contract before he becomes a free agent in summer 2018.

It is odd it has been made permanent and on a one year deal, as it effectively just replicates the loan deal already in place. You would hope he is not eligible to play against us on Sunday, as despite getting him off the wage bill, there appears little incentive for NUFC to sanction this deal now. Especially as it is very unlikely we will get any sort of fee. Let’s look through his time at the club…

The Highs…

Palermo – the dream debut

Tim’s most famous night in a NUFC shirt was incredibly his debut, aged just 18. Newcastle sent out a threadbare reserve side in Italy for our Uefa Cup game against Palermo. I remember watching the game and Krul kept us in the game with a series of stunning saves. It got the world taking about the little known Dutch keeper we had signed from Den Haag. We had a talent on our hands and you knew it was meant to be that night when we won through an Albert Luque winner, yes, that’s right – Luque!

THAT White Hart Lane performance

Arguably Tim’s finest hour in a Toon shirt. November 2013, we went to Spurs and picked up an impressive 1-0 away win. During that time, we seemed to be a bogie side for Tottenham and always seemed to get something at the Lane. However, this game will always be remembered for the heroics of Krul.

He made 14 saves in the game, which was the most of any Premiership keeper in seven years at the time. His awesome shot stopping style was in full flow that day. This is one nearly all Newcastle fans will remember.

2011/2 season

Tim had an excellent season, like most of the squad did, as we surprisingly finished 5th – our best finish since the days of Sir Booby Robson. Krul kept 15 clean sheets as we defied the odds and played some fantastic football as we almost sneaked into the Champions League places.

The Lows…

Relegation

Tim was part of the squad as we went down last time round. He only made 8 appearances due to injury but his form had clearly dipped and the signs of him perhaps going stale at Newcastle were beginning to show. Such a poor season for the team would have no doubt hurt Tim after being at the club so long. It became clear also that he was not going to be part of Rafa’s long term plans and with Bentiez staying that summer to lead our Championship assault, the writing was on the wall for Tim.

ACL Injury

Injuries certainly affected Krul. Long term ankle problems were the first sign of his decline but it was his ACL injury that seemed to take the edge off his game. It is of course a very difficult injury to bounce back from, or to full form. When he was fit again we were back in the Championship and Elliott and Darlow had been playing well. It meant the beginning of the end of his time at Newcastle, as loan moves were hastily agreed.

Alkmaar and Ajax loans

And it was these two loan spells at Ajax and AZ Alkmaar in his native Holland last season that were more signs of his struggles. He was in and out the side, often playing for Ajax reserves and at AZ, didn’t look his old self. It was these displays that may have made up the mind of Bentiez, who felt it was time to move Krul on.

2017 Pre-season

Krul returned to Tyneside over the summer full of beans, refusing to give up on his Newcastle United career. It was a painful pre-season for the Dutchman, who was shown all the signs by Benitez that his time at the club was up. He failed to make a single match day squad over each pre-season encounter and had slipped down to FOURTH in the pecking order. His dream had turned into a bit of a nightmare, but after months out in the cold, he sealed a deadline-day move to Brighton.

Right time to leave?

Krul made an impressive 185 appearances and his departure ends his 12 year association with Newcastle. He is still just 29, which for a goalkeeper usually means his peak years are ahead of him. I just think injuries and a loss of form caught up with him and it is right for all parties he moves on to pastures new.

He will always be remembered positively for his time here and over the years we have been spoilt with some excellent goalkeepers, such as Given, Srnicek and Harper. Tim certainly falls into the category in his prime and fans wish him well.

What was your favourite memory of Krul? Would you have kept him?

(Fancy writing for us? Send any articles/ideas over to us at [email protected] & we’ll get back to you!)

About Simon Riddlesden

Lifelong Newcastle United fan and East Stand season ticket holder. Observations from a supporter who has followed NUFC during Champions League participation and through relegation, taking me from Milan to Scunthorpe.

41 thoughts on “Tim Krul: The highs and lows of a great servant whose time at NUFC was clearly up

  1. Simon I never really blamed Krul for are relegation woes. I was more angry we kept Colocini who was well and truely past it. A made of glass Taylor and a defensive midfielder like Colback. With defensive players like that no wonder his distribution was terrible.

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  2. Terry:
    Simon I never really blamed Krul for are relegation woes.I was more angry we kept Colocini who was well and truely past it.A made of glass Taylor and a defensive midfielder like Colback.With defensive players like that no wonder his distribution was terrible.

    And Williamson.

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  3. Williamson always looked like he was scared of the ball. He would always point to someone else for Timmy-the=hoof to pass it to.

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  4. Eric I cant remember if Williamson played the season we got relegated so it would be unfair to blame him. If I remember rightly Williamson moved to Wolves about that time. Lacalles was our diamond in the rough although it was to late to save us.

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  5. Eric I apologize mate. Williamson made 1 League appearance and 1 league cup appearance the season we went down. Saying that however Williamson would defiantly have been a better defender than Colo that season. Colo was just terrible. The fault lies with McClaren, Carr and Ashley for not buying a defender.

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  6. Terry:
    I wish Krul all the best but just hope this deal doesn’t have Lua Lua written all over it.

    He can play on Sunday. Only loan players are prevented by the rules (changed following the Lua Lua goal).

    The timing was clearly outside of the club’s hands. The deal with Brighton is assumed to have had a clause to make him permanent after only one senior appearance. Having made that appearance midweek, both clubs confirmed he was now permanent, and the NUFC statement confirmed he is eligible to play.

    Having said that. With such a low bar to get across, it must have been envisaged that he might not even make that appearance in the whole season. He appeared partly because Hughton played a reserve side. And they got beat. He’s not done anything to suggest he’s more than their third choice, to play in the Prem only in case of injuries. I can’t imagine him starting on Sunday.

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  7. I wish Tim well also, sad his injuries had such an impact and for a long time he had a bloody awful defence in front of him, that’s not his fault and couldn’t of instilled much confidence . He was awesome against Spurs, totally on his game, motm .

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  8. Potski that Lua Lua decision will haunt me always and Shearer missing that penalty against West brom. We may have got in the champions league if those 6 points went our way. However Rafa would not have won the champions league with Liverpool if that happened

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  9. Olly I liked your article about Steve McClaren getting the Birmingham job. Seems the fan’s dont want him there either. I wouldn’t even wish him on Sunderland.

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  10. I see Leeds are doing well in the championship this season and Ipswich town have a real chance of promotion. Kim even Bristol City aren’t to far away from the play offs.

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  11. Terry, B. City are going great guns at the mo mate. Despatched Stoke in the cup on Tuesday and have Palace next. They often start well but fall away though.

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  12. Terry:
    Olly I liked your article about Steve McClaren getting the Birmingham job.Seems the fan’s dont want him there either.I wouldn’t even wish him on Sunderland.

    I would mate

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  13. Looks like a lot of NUFC ex-managers are being looked at.

    Pards
    Schteve
    Toad of Toad Hall

    If teams get desperate I think Ugly John is available. Joe fckn Kinnear, is he still around? Keegan ! Shearer !

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  14. Brighton were pretty **** against Bournemouth so that gives me hope for a Toon win. I am wavering between 1 nil and 2 nil. Can I go 1 and a half nil?

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  15. If Mr. Roy can get a job then why not Ugly John? I am recording the Man City game as I know Mr. Roy will be pawing at his face again like he does when his team gets tonked. 7 nil I am going with. Please let it be 7-0 after his England press conference. I wish nothing but ill on the bloke. Not like cancer or anything but 7-0. And if they could all be scored in the second half and Mr. Roy could do a premature celebratory Pardew dance going into the tunnel that would be good as well. Do I really want to see Mr. Roy dance? That would be like thinking about your parents having sex.

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  16. I call him Mr. Roy because he always reminds me of Deputy Head Master. Mine were Mr. Leak, Mr. Partridge and Mr. Golightly. All of them c@nts.

    Mr. Partridge took me to his office for a telling off because he said I had forged a note to get out of gym class. Me mam had written that I wasn’t feeling well and my “asma” was playing up. I told him that I knew how to spell asthma but my mother obviously didn’t and he could call her if he wanted.

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  17. So the M/City manager says the cup is a waste of energy,good job they didn’t try in the last round then isn’t it

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  18. What does that have to do with football Eric? Nothing really, except I am explaining my dislike for Mr. Roy.

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  19. Icedog:
    So the M/City manager says the cup is a waste of energy,good job they didn’t try in the last round then isn’t it

    Ironic that it is sponsored by an energy drink.

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  20. Paul Merson’s Giant Balloon Head said ” It is early, but not many saw NUFC being in the top 4″!

    You didn’t you ugly c@nt. According to Olly on here you had us on 2 points.

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  21. Eric Sykes:
    Paul Merson’s Giant Balloon Head said ” It is early, but not many saw NUFC being in the top 4″!

    You didn’t you ugly c@nt. According to Olly on here you had us on 2 points.

    It’s hard to take anything seriously from a guy that can’t pronounce half the players names he commentates on.

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  22. When did Michael “Interesting” Owen join the Merse and Lawro gang in this prediction business? and why?

    Does anybody on here remember that show Spitting Image? Steve Davis was complaining that he didn’t have a nickname like Hurricane Higgins or Whirlwind White so they decided to call him Steve “Interesting” Davis.

    MICHAEL INTERESTING OWEN.

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  23. And… Michael Interesting Owen has gone with a 1-1 draw for us. Now there’s a surprise. Don’t let the spelks hurt your **** as you interestingly sit on the fence.

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  24. And why do Merse and Lawro get to predict stuff anyway?

    Merse is an idiot and Lawro is trying to compete with Ugly John in the deepest and most wrinkles on there faces. And Michael. Michael Interesting Owen. They invented the word monotone to describe his voice.

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  25. C’mon you Spurs. And Man City.

    But???? Why do Spurs sing that ridiculous song – when the Spurs Go Marching In? It has no connection to their team and sounds totally shyte.

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  26. O when the Spurs go marching in, O when the Spurs go marching in. I want to be in that number…when the Spurs go marching in. Cue hand clap. WTF?

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  27. I mean: why don’t they sing like “my old Man said follow the van and don’t dilly dally on the way” It would be much more appropriate.

    And why did they have a **** linnet anyway?

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  28. so talk “again”of jabba selling club hes knocked 20 mil off the price now 380 mil,mind theres talk of two groups interested and signed the normal paperwork,lets just hope its not just **** this time

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  29. No Owen or Savage on BT Sport today. Result = Bunch of adults with some decent analysis. Jenas is particularly good today. And Hartson.

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