It was good to see Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul get called up to the Netherland’s provisional squad for the World Cup qualifying game against Bulgaria and the friendly against Italy later this month.
That’s especially true since Tim suffered his very serious ACL knee injury while playing for country in a European qualifying game a year last October.
That call-up should give Tim a lift after struggling earlier this season while on loan at Ajax.
Tim Krul – could be Newcastle’s number one again
He is now getting regular playing time at AZ Alkmaar and the club has reached the Dutch Cup final where they will play Vitesse on April 30th.
Tim was the hero when he saved the 5th penalty in the semi-final to take Alkmaar through to the final.
Tim will return to pre-season at Newcastle and then he will fight it out to see if he can again become the number one goalkeeper at Newcastle.
We wouldn’t put it past Tim to reclaim the number one jersey on Tyneside, but he will need to be in his very best form to do that.
Tim has given a long exclusive interview today in the Shields Gazette and here’s some of what he said:
“It’s exciting to be part of it,” “As a little boy I’ve watched those games. For me to come back and reach the final is great.”
“There was a lot of pressure on me,” “People were expecting me to save a couple like in Brazil again. It was a bit of pressure, but the relief at the end was so nice.”
“The fans have now got something to look forward to at the end of April. The cup final is a massive day out in Holland, like the FA Cup final in England.”
“For any player, a cruciate is a bad injury,” “A little ankle injury, if you go over on your ankle and damage your ligaments, that’s part and parcel of it.”
“Knee injuries knock you out for such a long time. That was something new for me, because if you’re out for a couple of months, you don’t really lose that sharpness and match practice.”
“That was the biggest thing for me.” “It’s been difficult. That’s been the hardest part.”
“When I got to the club, that’s the first thing they said, because when you win the cup here it’s Europa League.” “For a club like Alkmaar, that’s important.”
“I think I’ve had nine games in the last few weeks, and that’s obviously been the major test,”
“I’ve come through that. “I think the more I play, the stronger it gets.”
“The medical staff have been great. Playing a game every three days is as much a mental challenge than physical one.”
“Physically, I’m fine. You get through that. It’s been a major step for me.”
It will be good to have Tim back at Newcastle in the summer and then it’s up to him to see if he can become Newcastle’s number one goalkeeper again.
Tim is still our most experienced goalkeeper having played more then 150 Premier League games for the side since joining us from his home town club ADO Den Haag in the summer of 2005.
Comments welcome.
36 comments so far
cyprus
Mar 15, 2017 at 8:09 AM
Comment #1Sorry Rafa
I disagree. Buying players is much like buying furniture. New items must fit and complement the rest of the house. You can only buy so much. It’s hard to get rid. Sometimes you must pay more to get lasting quality… I could go on 🙂
Jail for Ashley
Mar 15, 2017 at 8:18 AM
Comment #2Cyprus,
When buying furniture you just let the Mrs choose and if it doesn’t suit it’s not your fault. Mcardew done this for a few years and we got relegated, Rafa would rather choose his own.
cyprus
Mar 15, 2017 at 8:38 AM
Comment #3Isn’t the missus like Carr? Has there been a divorce?
martoon
Mar 15, 2017 at 8:44 AM
Comment #4Jail – from last topic are you sure about Sterry because I can’t see him listed on any sites that show injured players?
Also I haven’t read it anywhere but I assume Colback & Ritchie avoided Yellow Cards on Saturday and are now passed the cut off point?
Jail for Ashley
Mar 15, 2017 at 8:45 AM
Comment #5martoon,
Not 100% I’m sure someone posted it on here.
Jail for Ashley
Mar 15, 2017 at 8:47 AM
Comment #6martoon,
I think a few wanted to see Pirlo booked 😮
Rotonda heights
Mar 15, 2017 at 8:58 AM
Comment #7Salmon
Calling welshie balanced says a lot more about you than anything else. Is this blog turning into trolls-r-us! Please define what you mean by balanced
If Welshie was balanced and didn’t have a massive chip on his shoulder why do we never hear from him when we’re top. Oh wait….
Yes Rafa will get some things wrong, sometimes, He’s only human and we acknowledge that when that happens.
But it seems very weird how some people seem to have thought more of AP than RB and knock the guy at every turn. As I said please define balanced coz sorry I don’t see that.
Maybe I shouldn’t have called him a prat or at least not a Welsh one.
ShirebrookToon
Mar 15, 2017 at 9:04 AM
Comment #89 games left = 9 wins 🙂
beermonkey
Mar 15, 2017 at 9:06 AM
Comment #9RH
u call the welsh wum what you like i think prat is very polite when talking about the wum
Jib
Mar 15, 2017 at 9:08 AM
Comment #10It was reveale in the matchday programme that another right-back, Jamie Sterry, had undergone a groin operation.
Jib
Mar 15, 2017 at 9:15 AM
Comment #11Rotonda
I think he meant balance for the site in general not that Welshie is balanced.
You have the extreme pendulum swing of Jail and others total non-critical adoration of Rafa to –
Frenchman and Welshies slagging him off
and most opinions between
AND ERGO
you have balance
martoon
Mar 15, 2017 at 9:19 AM
Comment #12Thanks Jib @10 – So that leaves us with the lesser of 2 evils choice between Anita & Gamez – thoughts anybody?
Budge123
Mar 15, 2017 at 9:22 AM
Comment #13Go with Anita.
He’s looked good /ok there previously.
Yes he was taken to the cleaners on Saturday but to be fair so was everyone else!
The overrated Frenchman
Mar 15, 2017 at 9:31 AM
Comment #14Personally I think my criticism of the Fat Spanish Waiter/ Portly Paella Pot/ Goateed Gutlord/ Midriff of Madrid is always fair and balanced. And Rotonda Heights is a dickhead.
martoon
Mar 15, 2017 at 9:49 AM
Comment #15TOF – I know that’s a tongue in cheek comment but I don’t know why when you make a valid argument you then ruin it with childish name calling?
Jail for Ashley
Mar 15, 2017 at 9:49 AM
Comment #16I’d love to know how a 35-50 year old Swansea fan with a 14 year olds brain gives a balanced view on things Newcastle. Taking in to account when he first came on here it was to slate Pardew, realising that the smary tw@t wasn’t very popular he started his gushing praise of him, often referring to him as a hero. Now we have the best manager we’ve had in a long time he’s started to slate him and the team. Please blog, go figure.
WWSBRD
Mar 15, 2017 at 9:53 AM
Comment #17Always good to start the day with some name calling
I have clashed with Rotonda for about as long as we’ve both been on here, we see things differently no issue in that, he’s not a dickhead though
Always fun on here
Jib
Mar 15, 2017 at 9:55 AM
Comment #18Jail
Well I tried (sigh)
but yet again your English comprehension let you down.
😎
Jail for Ashley
Mar 15, 2017 at 9:57 AM
Comment #19I was called an extreme Rafa lover earlier like it was some kind of dishonour. He is the best thing that has happened to the club in years and the only thing that seperates the club we love from a regime most of us despise. He has almost given us the club back.
WWSBRD
Mar 15, 2017 at 9:59 AM
Comment #20Anyhow Krul is a good lad Id like nothing more than him refinding top form and battling Darls for number 1 spot next season. He craved competition and stagnated when there was none
Jib
Mar 15, 2017 at 10:02 AM
Comment #21With regard to the right back situation.
I stand to be corrected.
but
I think after Fulham’s Floyd Ayité we’ve played all the stand-out left wingers in the Championship – so it is not as crucial as previously.
Jail for Ashley
Mar 15, 2017 at 10:04 AM
Comment #22Jib,
I hope Rafa has had Hanleys right foot hobbled in training this week to help his left get better, it’s going to be an absolute calamity with two right footed CB’s this weekend 😮
Jail for Ashley
Mar 15, 2017 at 10:08 AM
Comment #23I mean, Adams and Bould were a disaster as were Pallister and Bruce, what Fergie and Wenger would have given to have had the luxury of a left footed CB to shore up their defences.
Jail for Ashley
Mar 15, 2017 at 10:09 AM
Comment #24Sigh 🙄
toontaff2
Mar 15, 2017 at 10:09 AM
Comment #25WelshGeordie9 has excuse – he’s from Swansea! 👿
toontaff2
Mar 15, 2017 at 10:13 AM
Comment #26Jamie Sterry out after groin op -NUFC.COM,
Toon Tang
Mar 15, 2017 at 10:16 AM
Comment #27All troll paths lead to BEATTIE , BEATTIE25 and BEATROLL
He even used to have a name that was some weird cryptic number game which no one managed to crack until I stepped in with my poirot impression and outed him.
They reckon every troll on every known platform on the net can be traced back to BEATTIE. Just saying like…
The overrated Frenchman
Mar 15, 2017 at 10:17 AM
Comment #28Martoon, I’m just young at heart. Seriously, we all take ourselves too seriously on here. Anyway, I don`t mind being the pantomime villain. Keeps the craic going.
Tsunki
Mar 15, 2017 at 10:29 AM
Comment #29Would be a shame if Beattie was indeed the blog parasite. I have wondered how he had resisted posting more than once or twice this past couple of years. I always thought he was good value as a controversial yet humourous poster.
Tsunki
Mar 15, 2017 at 10:31 AM
Comment #30Just wondering , but you’re obviously not keen on overrated french men, and evidently less happy with overrated Spanish blokes as you might have it? Just asking but what would you prefer to see from team and manager ATM?
Jail for Ashley
Mar 15, 2017 at 10:57 AM
Comment #31I’d like to see Rafa rip up his formula that has brought him so much success, dispense of his world renowned coaches and hire Munster Mag. He could tell him that Pardew was a bang average manager who got far too much stick on here, that Carr had too much power and that he’d like to see Rafa attack more at home. Oh, and tell him who to buy.
TyneMouth
Mar 15, 2017 at 10:57 AM
Comment #32After comprehensively beating us on Saturday, Fulham drop two points at home to Blackburn, one place above the relagation places, it’s a funny old game.
There may be only nine games left, but I think all of our contenders would love to be in our position.
Keep the faith, think back to where we were one year ago, the future is in our own hands!
Our season form of 2.14 points per game will total 96 points, in May.
Keep on keeping on…
Rotonda heights
Mar 15, 2017 at 10:58 AM
Comment #33Ah TOF
You bwave little keyboard warrior you..
Sorry but coming from a guy who has to resort to calling someone a d—h—d as the height of his insulting ability, I don’t think Mensa will be canvassing for your membership any time soon.
And remember there are other kids reading this, not just you, so please mind your language there’s a good chap.
Rotonda heights
Mar 15, 2017 at 11:01 AM
Comment #34Cheers WW
In recent times though I think we have been chiming together on a number of things
Wayayman
Mar 15, 2017 at 11:03 AM
Comment #35Massive games this weekend. Ours, obviously but Brighton V Leeds is huge. Leeds looking to catch Huddersfield and Brighton wanting to go top. Huddersfield will be looking over their shoulder at the chasing pack, so we might be in the sweet spot. Who knows? If we at least match Huddersfield each round of games between now and the end of the season, we’re golden.
HWTL
oldbyker
Mar 15, 2017 at 11:48 AM
Comment #36Hi all only posted a few times on here but been reading comments for ages don’t see what all the fuss is about yeah it’s close but all in all we have lost very few games