Back in August, as the new English Premier League season kicked off, all eyes were on David de Gea, the goalkeeper bought by Manchester United to replace Edwin van der Sar. Five months on, De Gea remains under scrutiny and may have even lost the number one jersey at Old Trafford to Anders Lindegaard. Chelsea’s Petr Cech, who made costly blunders in December, has received unwanted spotlight too. But while the bulk of the headlines have been devoted to goalkeeping errors, two Dutch shot-stoppers have quietly helped their teams defy the odds.
Swansea’s Michel Vorm and Newcastle’s Tim Krul cannot claim to be household names in the mould of Cech, Pepe Reina or Joe Hart – but it is no coincidence that they are excelling and their teams are punching above their weight this season, making a mockery of gloomy pre-season predictions. In turn, the pair are also doing their international futures no harm either.
Vorm caught the eye in his first Premier League start against Manchester City and has barely put a foot wrong since. No statistic better captures the 28-year-old’s influence than Swansea matching City for the best home defensive record – a mere four goals conceded in 10 games. The Dutchman has made double saves, triple saves and penalty saves, and is a leading contender for bargain buy of the season after completing a £1.5M move to the Liberty Stadium from FC Utrecht.
Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers certainly values the Dutchman’s impact. “He is a real bargain for us,” he admitted. “He has been fantastic. People will tell you that a good goalkeeper will get you up to 10-plus points and everyone knows we have a top keeper. He is a good guy, very professional. His family have settled well in Swansea and he is enjoying life in this fantastic league.”
The Welsh club’s sole target for this season is survival – and they have kept their heads above water thus far. A priceless victory at Aston Villa, which brought another Vorm clean sheet, has given Swansea a little timely breathing space. If Vorm continues to shine, the Swans might well avoid a nail-biting end to the campaign.
Krul, meanwhile, has also been an unsung hero as the last line of defence for surprise package Newcastle United. The Magpies arguably lost three of their most influential players last summer but have bounced back impressively, sitting in the top four early in the campaign and, despite a slight dip in form, showing that they have the quality to stay in the top six battle.
Of course, Newcastle have benefitted from Demba Ba’s goalscoring streak – his tally now stands at 15 Premier League goals – but they have been equally inspired at the other end of the pitch. A clean sheet in the 3-0 win over Manchester United was another reminder of how far the defence has come since August, when Jose Enrique’s departure suggested it would be a bleak year defensively.
The pressure of playing on Tyneside might have proved too daunting for many 23-year-olds but Krul’s calming presence and top class shot-stopping have ensured that Newcastle’s defensive record remains on par with Chelsea (25 goals conceded in 20 games). The Dutchman has given every indication that he can make the position his own at St. James’ Park for the next decade or more.
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has clearly enjoyed seeing Krul repay the faith shown in him by the club. “He’s had to back up the judgement we made on him at the start of the season, but he’s done it,” Pardew said. “He’s been brilliant.”
The stellar campaigns from Vorm and Krul thus far might have gone relatively unnoticed in some quarters but their clubs unquestionably know their importance – and it was fitting that the first fixture between the two teams this season ended goalless. At the same time, both sides will also be fully aware that the season is only just past the halfway stage and that they cannot rest on their laurels in the weeks to come.
However, there is a real degree of comfort that comes from having a reliable, in-form goalkeeper and this spreads confidence throughout a team, regardless of whether they are chasing silverware or fighting against relegation. And Swansea and Newcastle are both cashing in. If Vorm and Krul can maintain their form, there is no reason for either team to be fearful of the challenging months ahead.
