Head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup believes Ashley Barnes has a role to play in Norwich City’s new era.
The striker made his first appearance in over six months on Tuesday, coming on as a substitute in the Canaries’ win over his former team, Plymouth Argyle, where he played up front on his own.
Thorup sees Barnes fitting into his system as a central striker, with the 35-year-old returning from injury to provide support in a thin attacking squad.
“I see him as a ‘nine’ for us,” said Thorup. “We can easily find a role where he can drop deeper to link play and find space between the defense and midfield.
“That’s fine, but we need him in the box. I’ve never worked with him before, so this is my first time seeing him in training.
“He’s a good link-up player, and I can see he will be valuable for us. He can connect with the midfield and wingers, but it’s important to have his presence in the box.
“I don’t think we should underestimate his football intelligence; he’s very clever. I watched some of his performances from Burnley in the Championship a couple of seasons ago, and he did well.
“Of course, he won’t put up the same numbers as Marcelino (Nunez), but he will be important in organizing our pressing from the front.”
Besides his natural mentoring role, Thorup also believes Barnes’ presence will help balance the workload for summer signing Ante Crnac.
“With Barnesy, I don’t have to do much because he’s already doing it on the pitch,” Thorup added. “He’s great with the other players, supporting them, and being a good teammate.
“It will be beneficial for Ante too, as it means we don’t have to rely on him to play every minute. We didn’t expect him to play so many minutes this season.”
