Peter Grant is hoping to avoid a repeat of the contract situation at Carrow Road which will see 13 members of his playing staff out of contract at the end of the season.

By CHRIS LAKEY

Peter Grant is hoping to avoid a repeat of the contract situation at Carrow Road which will see 13 members of his playing staff out of contract at the end of the season.

Darren Huckerby is the only one with whom business has been concluded, signing an extension that will keep him at Carrow Road for another year.

But the City boss still has to conclude deals with the likes of skipper Adam Drury - with whom City have a one-year option - Gary Doherty and Craig Fleming.

“The thing I think was wrong is there are 13 boys, including youngsters, with contracts up and what we have to try and do is get a balance in that so it doesn't happen,” said Grant.

“It is near impossible to run it that way, financially for the club it is impossible to run it that way as well so we have to try and put a proper balance into the structure of the contracts so they are not all coming out of contract at the same time. I think that is important for us.”

However, Grant is hoping that the decision to offer Huckerby what he wanted - a one-year extension - will persuade other players of the ambition at Carrow Road.

“It is fantastic ambition the club have shown to keep Hucks and putting the money together to keep Hucks,” he said. “That shows the ambition and matches the ambition of where I want to be and hopefully I can utilise that and that lets other players know the ambition we have and hopefully that is a selling factor to the ones we already have and want to keep or the ones I am trying to bring here.”

Apart from on-loan Luke Chadwick - sidelined with injury since his debut at Ipswich in mid-November but expected to sign a permanent deal in the January transfer window - the City squad is the one Grant inherited from the Worthington era, although that is likely to change significantly in the next few weeks.

“I always felt I would need to bring different types of player in because I thought there was an imbalance to the squad,” he said.

“If people don't do their jobs properly they won't play for me very often and it gives me the chance in January to change things round so they know exactly what I want from them.

“They have got to be braver - I think the last 15 minuets of the last two games they have shown no fear and all of a sudden they have chances and put the opposition under pressure.

“My worry is why has it taken so long? Does that tell you that you have not got the right players? Maybe it does. But for me I think I have very good players here, but they have got to do it on a much more consistent. If they don't do it I bring other guys in who will do it.”

Grant has not ruled out some departures, either on loan or on permanent deals.

“There is a possibility,” he said. “I am not going to keep other guys here if I think it will benefit them going out on loan. And if people come for the players and it is right it is something I will look at. If I think it will make us stronger in the long run I will do it. I have no qualms with that

“The most important thing for me is not about the individual, it is about the team and if I can make the team better, hopefully we will be more successful.”