Norwich City

Norwich City striker Ante Crnac says he is trying to be "the best version of himself" as he reflects on his start to the season.

Crnac, 21, joined the club at the beginning of the 2024-25 season from Polish side Rakow Czestochowa, and has started every league game for new boss Liam Manning this campaign.

"I feel very good playing through the middle, obviously I have to work on some things, like my finishing," he said.

"In the pre-season I tried to focus on my muscle building and my strength and I think I'm ready now."

The Canaries have been boosted by the confirmation that USA striker Josh Sargent is staying at the club, something that Crnac hoped would happen.

"We were all hoping he would stay and now we can just enjoy playing with him. He is a terrific player and thanks to him, we all look forward to playing," Crnac added.

"Our whole squad is very good, we are very dangerous. We still have to work on some things, but it is still very early on in the season.

"Our goal is to win every game, certainly as many as we can, and then we will see where we are at the end of the season."

Image source, Getty Images

Norwich City are mourning the passing of Jimmy Bone who scored their first goal in the top flight of English football.

Bone died at the age of 75 having spent 13 months with the Canaries in the early 1970s.

The striker joined Norwich from Partick Thistle in February 1972, helping them to win the Second Division title and promotion to the top tier for the first time in their history.

Bone then scored Norwich's first goal in Division One in a 1-1 draw at home to Everton in August 1972 before being sold to Sheffield United in March the following year.

In total the Scotland international made 39 appearances for Norwich, scoring nine goals in a career which also saw him play for clubs including Celtic, St Mirren and Hearts.

Image source, Rex Features

Norwich City defender Ben Chrisene has been called into the England Under-21 squad for their upcoming Euro 2027 qualifier against Kazakhstan.

The 21-year-old has been added to the squad, along with Sheffield United midfielder Sydie Peck, after Manchester City pair Rico Lewis and Nico O'Reilly withdrew because of injuries.

Chrisene has made one appearance for the Under-21s when he came on as a substitute in a goalless draw against Spain in November 2024.

England are the defending European champions, having beaten Germany 3-2 in this year's final, and start their qualification campaign against Kazakhstan in Almaty on Monday, 8 September.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United youngster Zach Baumann is joining Norwich on a permanent deal.

The Championship side are not paying a fee for Baumann but the deal contains a number of performance clauses which will ensure United generate a decent amount of money if the 18-year-old does well.

Baumann has played for Ukraine at under-19 level and was a key member of United's Under-18 Premier League title-winning side.

However, he has opted to take the opportunity to progress his career away from Old Trafford.

Norwich boss Liam Manning was delighted by his side's second away win of the Championship season in their final game before the first international break.

"It's a lot nicer feeling going into the two-week international break with a win, especially off the back of a couple of tough results that didn't necessarily reflect the performances," he told BBC Radio Norfolk.

"I really enjoyed large elements of the first half. Having Kenny (McLean) back is massive, the control he gives us, and that allowed us to keep Ben (Chrisene) higher, and I thought he had a good game.

"We created some terrific chances in the first half and in the second half. As last week against Middlesbrough, we saw the threat you can carry with 10 men because you can take more risks as you're chasing the game a bit.

"We didn't manage the game the way we would want to in the second half but it's another strong learning experience that will improve us in the future."

Norwich will resume their Championship campaign away to Coventry City on 13 September.

After picking up their first points of the season with a 3-0 drubbing of Hull City, Valerien Ismael's Blackburn Rovers will seek to get on track at Ewood Park as Norwich visit on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Liam Manning's Canaries have suffered three home defeats already this season but will seek to stay unbeaten on their travels after the 2-1 win at Portsmouth in their only previous road game in the Championship.

• Blackburn Rovers have won just two of their past 14 league games against Norwich City (D5 L7), though are unbeaten across their last four against the Canaries (W1 D3).

• Norwich City are unbeaten across their past seven away league games against Blackburn Rovers (D2 L5), drawing both of their last two such visits to Ewood Park 1-1.

• After losing their home opener 2-1 to Birmingham City, Blackburn will be looking to avoid losing each of their opening two home league games of a campaign outside the top tier for the first time since 1956-57.

• Norwich have lost two of their opening three league games this season (W1), and will be looking to avoid losing three of their opening four outside the top tier for the first time since 2000-01.

• Norwich have won just one of their past 11 league games against sides from Lancashire (D5 L5), though that victory did come on the road at Preston in April 2024 (1-0).

Image source, Rex Features

Norwich City have signed Swindon Town forward Botan Ameen on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

The 18-year-old Iraq youth international has played 19 games for the League Two side, scoring four goals and will join the Canaries' development squad.

Ameen began his career at Queens Park Rangers before moving to Swindon in the summer of 2023 and his contract at Norwich includes the option of two further years beyond 2028.

"This move is right for me because I think I have got more developing to do and a place like Norwich with top facilities, loads of good equipment, nutrition, loads of staff to help me out and tailor my needs is perfect for that," Ameen said.

"When you read this, you sort of think wow! It was so shocking, we clarified it and checked it. Marcelino Nunez is one of Norwich's best players. It's huge, it's a shocker".

Chris Goreham and Rob Butler are joined by Ipswich Town fan and Youtuber Benjamin Bloome, former Norwich City winger Darren Eadie and more in this special edition of the podcast looking at Marcelino Nunez's 'shock' move to rivals Ipswich Town.

The Chilean is set to be sold for £10m with a year remaining on his contract.

Listen to the full episode of The Scrimmage and more on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Rex Features

Norwich City head to Blackburn on Saturday (15:00 BST) seeking to return to winning ways after consecutive home defeats.

City went down 2-1 against Middlesbrough in the Championship on Saturday before a 3-0 reverse against Southampton in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, their third straight loss at Carrow Road this season after an opening-day defeat by Millwall.

Head coach Liam Manning has been speaking to the media in the build-up to the Rovers game.

Here are some of the key points:

• Reflecting on the Southampton defeat, Manning says the Canaries didn't help themselves by not taking their chances when they were on top.

• There's no panic behind the scenes, he says, emphasising that staying calm and trusting the process they are going through is essential.

• "Building the foundations and blocks so that we're successful at the end of the season is the aim."

• On Blackburn: "They'll be well organised and set up; we'll need to be at our best to win."

• On Rovers midfielder Todd Cantwell, who spent six years at Norwich until 2023: "We'll do our homework, but the focus is on what we do, not individuals."

• On transfers - Manning says the club has been transparent with those players not getting any game time. "Never say never" with players coming back into the team if they train well, but players know where they stand.

You can listen to full live commentary of Blackburn v Norwich City with BBC Radio Norfolk on FM and DAB from 14:00 BST on Saturday.

Norwich head coach Liam Manning said it would "absolute madness" to start panicking so early in the season despite a third straight home defeat.

Tuesday's 3-0 home loss to Southampton in the EFL Cup second round followed earlier Championship defeats at Carrow Road to Millwall on the opening day of the season and Middlesbrough last Saturday, which have left the Canaries 17th in the league after one win - at Portsmouth - in their opening three games.

"I don't like losing, I don't like conceding goals like we have done," Manning told BBC Radio Norfolk after the latest reverse.

"I think the last 20 minutes of the game skews a little bit of the performance. When you look at the first half I think we performed really well, and caused them real problems, created numerous chances but we didn't take any.

"Then obviously a sloppy turnover again, similar to the weekend, a fantastic finish and then you are 1-0 down.

"Even in the second half there were some passages again. For me it was probably the way we finished the game, in terms of continuing to fight and show those behaviours all the way through until the end, that was probably the disappointing feeling at the end."

The Canaries boss said his team need to be more ruthless in attack after only managing four of their 10 shots on target.

"Learning to win is different, the smart bit is the little fouls on transition or being ruthless in the box. It is no good creating loads of chances and not converting, which was similar to at the weekend.

"I know we have a huge amount of work to do and I know because of that we will improve and we will get better.

"I am quite clear and quite strong on that, you don't want to be panicking four or five games in - I think it would be absolute madness to do that."

Listen to the full interview with Liam Manning on BBC Sounds

Swindon striker Botan Ameen, 18, an Iraq youth international, is set to undergo a medical at Norwich ahead of a move to Carrow Road. (Pete O'Rourke), external

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