Grant: Top form can be funded

Peter Grant is hankering for a return to the consistency that punctuated the early weeks of his managerial reign at Carrow Road.

Peter Grant is hankering for a return to the consistency that punctuated the early weeks of his managerial reign at Carrow Road.

City kept clean sheets in four of their first six games under Grant, but have stopped their opponents scoring only only two occasions in the following 13 games.

It's consistency that Grant craves and sees table-topping Derby as the best example - even though they have paid big money to achieve it.

“The team that has shown most consistency is the one that is sitting top of the league,” said Grant. “If you look at Derby they have either scored in the first four minutes or the last four minutes and won 1-0 - they are very consistent at doing that.

“They have that belief in themselves and that belief in winning games and that confidence in winning games.

“But they have spent a lot of money to do it so you expect it. Birmingham have spent a hell of a lot of money and you expect them to be scoring, the front two young boys that have just come in cost a lot, then they take (Nicklas) Bendtner on loan and they paid big money to get him. They know what they are doing.

“Birmingham took Rowan Vine, somebody I was quoted £750,000 for and they end up paying £3m for. That is the difference, that is why these teams are up the top of the league, because they have a consistency. They say they have lost x, y and z and they say, 'okay, let's spend £3m to bring him in, he'll keep the goals going for us'.

“It's great if you can do that, but we are not in a position to do that.”