Patience will be a virtue for Norwich City fans when it comes to summer signing Ante Crnac.
Rakow Częstochowa reportedly offered the highly regarded young Croatian a four-year contract worth £8.5 million,
which is a significant sum for a largely unproven player in the Polish League. However, City supporters will recall a
period when star Josh Sargent wasn’t playing up to the level he has set for himself in recent seasons, and like the
American, Crnac is a player who will get better in the future.
Ante Crnac is already a danger man for the Canaries
Having started the 20-year-old in almost every league game since he joined in late August, Norwich manager
Johannes Hoff Thorup clearly views him as a valuable member of the team.
Crnac scored his first goal for the Canaries during a 1-1 draw with Stoke City during that period. Without a doubt, his
first appearance on the scoresheet in England was a crucial first step.
“You want to see those moments of top class quality, and he showed that,” Thorup stated in his post-match
interview. He is adept at putting himself in a lot of risky situations.
Playing on the right wing, Crnac enjoys taking people one-on-one and has no qualms about putting it in the box or
cutting in to have a shot at goal. However, he hasn’t had that finishing edge this season.
Thorup has urged patience with the Croatian
Ben Knapper and Thorup have undoubtedly made a long-term commitment to Crnac, as has been the case with most
of the summer business.
Both have acknowledged that the Croatia U21 international will need some time to get used to English football and
his new environment, but the more he’s played, the more he’s already showing.
Following the forward’s first goal, Thorup remarked, “We have had better and better performances throughout his
time here, and he will definitely be even better in the future.”
Norwich’s successful outcomes will also be crucial in boosting Crnac’s confidence to continue playing to his
strengths.
Crnac should follow in the footsteps of Josh Sargent
There was once a time after Josh Sargent first joined the Canaries that many Norwich fans questioned why he was
brought in.
Sargent struggled in that first season in the Premier League, despite a memorable scorpion kick as part of a brace
away to Watford.
But the American international has become one of the most important players for Norwich City in the last couple of
seasons, improving year-on-year.
Already this season he’s assisted Crnac, though it’s questionable whether being hit by the ball that then falls into the
path of the goalscorer should be an assist.
Nonetheless, there’s plenty that the summer arrival can learn from Sargent. Like Crnac, in Sargent’s first season, he
operated predominantly on the right.
For Rakow, Crnac was generally playing up top with a focus on the right-hand side. Thorup will still be working out
how best to use his talents, but focusing on the right wing will surely add an extra dimension to his game down the
line.
It could well be the case that Crnac is eyed to be the stand-in should Sargent make an exit from Carrow Road in the
future, the way the latter slotted in up top following Teemu Pukki’s departure.
It’s not to say that they are exactly the same style of player, Crnac being more of a tricky ball carrier compared to
Sargent’s more complete centre-forward role, but both have an eye for goal and the ability to cause problems for
defenders.
For now, it will take time for Crnac to adapt to English football but it’s worth remembering that he’s only 20 and
experiencing Championship football for the first time.
If Norwich fans can afford patience with him, he’s sure to become a big player in the future just as Sargent has in
recent years.
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