John Ruddy has been backed to prove his doubters wrong by Norwich City legend Bryan Gunn.
The former Canaries number one is confident the man currently in possession of the shirt will rediscover his top form, after Ruddy was jeered by some sections of the Carrow Road crowd during Saturday's 2-1 loss to Reading.
After a shaky performance the tall shot-stopper took to Twitter to defend himself, with the 28-year-old saying he was 'disappointed' with the reactions of some supporters.
'I think it was fair enough to say what he said, that's his opinion and he's more than able to offer that about what he saw and heard after the game,' said Gunn.
'It's what happens unfortunately, people do have grumbles at players and now with the modern media if they put something out there and it allows people to come back at them and they can get involved in a bit of a tit-for-tat argument with them.
'I would imagine the majority of Norwich fans would have different thoughts, with how John Ruddy has performed in the last four seasons at Carrow Road.
'He has performed at such a high standard, to drop below that, it can't happen, but it's one of those scenarios where any player can sometimes dip below their usual standards.
'I'm sure John will be working hard in training with (goalkeeper coach) Tony Parks to put it right.'
Graphic: Relegation has turned world upside down for Norwich City goalkeeper John Ruddy
Ruddy, with 155 appearances so far for City, is still a long way short of the 477 racked up by Gunn as a player for the club but demonstrated his loyalty to the club this summer when dismissing rumours of a transfer back to the Premier League.
'He is a quality keeper, hopefully this is only a small blip,' added Gunn.
'He's proved that he's loyal to the club, he has been one of the top players that got relegated and he's not made any noises looking to leave.
'Now whatever has been done and been said, John needs to refocus on the game in hand at Wigan on Saturday and try to get a clean sheet and help Norwich City get three points that they will be extremely grateful for.'
The former Scotland international can also relate to what it's like for a goalkeeper to deal with criticism from fans while on the pitch.
'You try and block it out but you are so close to the stands that it is inevitable that you are going to hear somebody moan and groan,' Gunn continued.
'If those multiply then it makes it more difficult but I remember once myself I let in a bad goal at Southend, at Roots Hall, and I made a save after that and got all the ironic jeers and saying 'how come you couldn't do it last time?', it's part of the job.
'That's why you train every day, like with young keepers, they are going to make mistakes but they have got to learn from them, that is what makes a top keeper.
'John will look and assess with Tony (Parks) what he could have done better and it will be a different game on Saturday, so he has to focus on that.'
Do you think Ruddy's place in the City starting XI is under threat? Or has criticism of his performances this season been unfair? Leave your comments below.
Graphic: Relegation has turned world upside down for Norwich City goalkeeper John Ruddy
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