By any measure, it hasn’t been the season that Norwich City’s goalkeeping department, including Angus Gunn, would have wanted.
Last season, the Scotland international ranked among the best stop-stoppers in the Championship. His contributions were key to David Wagner’s side producing a run of form that culminated in a spot in the play-offs.
Gunn’s form this season hasn’t been where it was last term. It has been a season wrapped in inconsistency, injury and uncertainty.
Statistics involving the overall performance of City’s goalkeepers have gained real traction on social media as the campaign has developed.
One statistic to measure goalkeeping performance is post-shot expected goals minus goals allowed. In layman’s terms, it is a metric that uses expected goals to measure how likely a goalkeeper is to save a shot.
City rank at -9.2 on that stat. Essentially, a minus figure suggests bad luck and/or below par shot-stopping. That metric suggests Norwich’s goalkeepers have conceded nine times more than should have been the case. That puts them at the bottom of the pile in the Championship, with Sheffield Wednesday next closest at -4.6.
There is context that needs to be wrapped around those numbers – for example, some providers of those stats don’t take into consideration goalkeeper positioning. For all the spotlight being placed on Gunn’s performances, the big jumps in underperformance actually came while he was injured.
Gunn hasn’t been perfect this season, but you don’t become a bad goalkeeper overnight – and the 29-year-old hasn’t.
Whoever has been between the sticks, it has felt like opposition teams have not been made to sweat or construct major openings to fashion goals. That is the overriding frustration of this campaign.
It hasn’t been an easy season for Gunn, but there is a fair bit of mitigation. There has been a change of goalkeeper coach, injuries and uncertainty over his long-term future. There is so much that goes into form but sometimes it swings without any explanation. Players can endure underpar patches – it happens.
Luck is also an unsexy factor to consider. Norwich’s goalkeepers have had very few moments of the kind that saw Gunn unknowingly deflect Karlan Grant’s shot just wide of the post.
City’s victory over West Brom was a reminder of Gunn at his very best. The stops to deny Torbjorn Heggem and, in particular, Kyle Bartley were top class at this level, but his overall command was greater and the number one exuded confidence.
The three crosses held is the second highest of the campaign after City’s victory over Coventry in August. Gunn’s defensive actions outside of the area sat at four – his joint highest of the season.
In every metric, this was Gunn’s best performance of the campaign. It came at a point where he showcased to City his qualities as the speculation over his future continues to rumble on.
Gunn is yet to learn his fate over his Norwich future. Talks have not ignited and the situation remains unsolved heading into the last seven games of the Championship campaign.
City’s number one expressed his desire for clarity in a round of media interviews earlier this month. It is down to Ben Knapper and those who matter to communicate those decisions, but that uncertainity won’t have helped Gunn’s performances this season.
Maybe there should be an expectation that Gunn, who has made 167 appearances for the club over a five-season period across two stays, is afforded that clarity. That is before considering the weight, relationship and historical meaning of his last name.
It feels unlikely, especially with goalkeeping deputies George Long and Vicente Reyes being handed new contracts, that Norwich will come to the table to extend Gunn’s stay – but there is still plenty to play for.
Norwich clearly won’t want to communicate that prematurely and risk a drop in performances, but it doesn’t help any anxiety that is loitering around his situation with a young family to consider.
Norwich did sign Gunn as a Premier League club. There will be a need to make savings in the wage budget heading into year four as a Championship club – making a change in that department will be an easy cut.
In January, the search surrounded a younger and domestic profile – but City may opt to broaden their horizons in a summer window of more opportunity.
City’s challenge will be finding a capable replacement that is of equal or higher standing to Gunn if fresh terms aren’t offered. The version that played against West Brom is of a high standard in this division, even if it hasn’t been seen as frequently as anyone would like.
For Gunn, he is playing for a contract – either at City or elsewhere – as well as to resume his duties as Scotland’s frontline choice ahead of veteran Craig Gordon.
VERDICT: Arguably Gunn’s best individual performance of the Championship campaign – making two outstanding saves to deny Torbjorn Heggem and Kyle Bartley. Commanding presence throughout and alert to the danger to sweep up outside his box.
RATING: 8 out of 10
