Analysis of Ante Crnac's Norwich City debut in Blades draw

Given the long days and intense medical in the build-up to his City move, few would have blamed Johannes Hoff Thorup for handing him a spot on the bench and electing a slow integration into life at Carrow Road. 

That is usually the case with new additions, especially in the days after their arrival in Norfolk. City historically have opted to dip the toes of new recruits in the water rather than fully throwing them into the deep end. 

Instead, Norwich's new £8.5m signing was thrust straight into the starting line-up - a situation that may reflect their shortage of options in that area given Abu Kamara's absence after his transfer request and Jonathan Rowe's departure being officially confirmed on Friday. 

Thorup's decision would have been based on those options available to him, but equally with a knowledge that Crnac had already played five league matches in Poland prior to his arrival in Norfolk late last week. 

As documented by an insightful behind-the-scenes video via the club's channels - Crnac was so fit that the heart rate monitor was beeping in concern of his resting heart rate. But even then, the intensity of the last week will have taken plenty out of his sails. 

He flew into Norwich airport on Wednesday, undertook a two-part medical on limited sleep, and was officially unveiled on Thursday. Friday involved intense meetings designed to bring him up to speed with how the team operates, followed by a first training session. 

That's before any consideration is given to the fact that Werder Bremen officials were in the stands for his final game as a Rakow player, believing they could secure a deal to bring him to the Bundesliga. 

Then Ben Knapper swooped. Norwich got a deal done rapidly. Trying to make sense of that and process what has unfolded this week will have been difficult for a young man who only moved to Poland for £1.1m last summer. 

The fee paid is an illustration of Norwich's commitment to him, but it shows how much his own career has soared in the last 12 months. He has seldom had the chance to draw breath.

Ante Crnac capped off a whirlwind week with his first Norwich City start. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

That mitigation must be wrapped around his Championship debut against Sheffield United. Considering it through that lens provides a positive outlook, given the hectic nature of the last seven days in Crnac's life. 

The 20-year-old displayed some flashes of his technical quality and ability to take balls under control in tight spaces. Particularly in the first half, the crispness of his passing and assurance with the ball showed signs of what Norwich had identified, given his role in Thorup's system. 

There were two occasions in the first half when Crnac's awareness enabled him to switch the play effectively to the left side, although those passages both ended with questionable decision-making from his colleagues. 

Crnac operated mainly on the periphery of this encounter but was able to drift into promising positions as an inverted right winger. It will be down to Thorup and his coaching team to unlock him in that area of the pitch. 

As the game wore on, Crnac did appear to tire, and there were moments where the physicality of the contest seemed to catch him out, but it would have been a useful, if somewhat frantic, introduction to life in the Championship. 

A part of the strategy to bring Crnac to Norfolk was the understanding that he could play in a variety of positions, including on the right flank where he operated during this encounter. Given the dominance of Josh Sargent as a number nine, any option recruited as a deputy would need that capability to play elsewhere or risk their development being stifled. 

With further training sessions and exposure to life in England, Crnac will acclimatise and begin to look more comfortable. 

Crnac operated on the right flank for the Canaries in the 1-1 draw against Sheffield United. (Image: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd)

Fortunately, the next opportunity arrives as early as Tuesday night: a Carabao Cup fixture against Premier League opposition in Crystal Palace. For the Croatian, it will be a chance to make a bright impression, with more sleep. 

VERDICT: Flashes of what he could do in a debut that has to be wrapped in the appropriate context of a whirlwind few days. Technically savvy and drifted into some promising positions, but existed largely on the periphery of the contest. 

RATING: 6 out of 10