DAVID CUFFLEY City boss Peter Grant jumped to the defence of Adam Drury last night after it was suggested he should change his captain.

DAVID CUFFLEY

City boss Peter Grant jumped to the defence of Adam Drury last night after it was suggested he should change his captain.

Grant, answering shareholders' questions at a two-hour annual meeting at Carrow Road, was urged to switch veteran Dion Dublin back to a defensive role and give him the armband.

Shareholder David Batley, from Pakefield, outlined his own four-point plan for the manager - bringing in a new coach, changing the captain, giving young players more chance and being more positive when City were in a winning position.

He said Drury was “a lovely chap” but advised the manager: “Put Dion Dublin back in the centre of defence and make him captain.”

Grant said Drury, given the skipper's role by Nigel Worthington in the summer for the second time, had raised the subject of the captaincy as soon as he was appointed manager.

“I think that's a bit unfair on Adam. He came to me within two days of me arriving and asked me if I wanted to change the captain,” said Grant.

“I told him I didn't know the players well enough and I didn't know him well enough. We are all right just now.”

He said the captaincy was an honour and the armband was not something to be thrown around.

Grant also engaged in an animated debate over the merits of star forward Darren Huckerby and asked one shareholder: “How many goals has he scored this year? How many goals has he created this year?

“He can win you the game like that. I don't want to sacrifice Darren. He's a major player and a major threat, but we have to get more out of him in the final third, whether it's scoring goals or creating chances.”

He said Huckerby was a “massive plus” and a potential matchwinner, but opposing sides were aware of his defensive shortcomings, adding: “If I was Adam Drury, I'd be grey.”

Grant also spoke of his frustration at the last-minute collapse of a deal to bring a goalscoring midfielder to Carrow Road earlier this week when his heavily pregnant wife decided against moving.

City refused to name the player, but it is believed to have been Matthew Spring, of Watford, who instead rejoined Luton yesterday for £200,000.

He also confirmed he was planning to bring in another coach to work with the first team after Keith Webb's departure to King's Lynn.

The formal business of the meeting was concluded very swiftly with Michael Foulger and Barry Skipper re-elected as directors and chief executive Neil Doncaster's election to the board confirmed.