Chris Goreham: City need more 'Grinta' to build on some Championship green shoots

Philippe Clement has done many good things in his first 50 matches as Norwich City manager.

Expanding my vocabulary was the final flourish as he brought up his half-century with a remarkable win over Watford.

During the post-match interview the City head coach demanded more “Grinta” from his team.

My ears pricked up immediately.

It’s not easy to discover new words once you get into your 40s so this was an opportunity that needed grasping.

As soon as Clement left our little interview room in the Carrow Road tunnel it was time for a swift internet search.

As a radio professional who would like to continue his career for a little bit longer, the first job was to ensure that "Grinta" was broadcast friendly for a Saturday afternoon audience.

A quick game of Call My Bluff ensued.

A - An Italian word that translates to grit, determination or resolve,

B - A Flemish magazine about cycling, or,

C - A software company aimed at distributors of sports equipment?

The answer is that all three are correct.

It definitely is not, at least to the best of my knowledge, a dating website with dubious intent. That’s just to dismiss one of the suggestions from a fellow reporter who was listening in to the interview.

Having watched the chat back I’m sure that Clement was using it along the lines of the first definition.

The fact he clenched both his fist and his teeth as he said it gave it away. It’s a word I wish I’d known earlier.

It does absolutely sum up the missing ingredient from some of Norwich City’s performances this season.

When the Canaries are good, they are very good.

In six of their 13 Championship games City have scored at least three goals.

The fact they have lost two of those matches suggests that they are a team that enjoys attacking far more than the less glamorous side of the game.

The main difference between the first half against Watford, which they lost 2-0, and the second, which they won 3-0, was the determination to be first to loose balls and to make sure that challenges were won.

The same can be said of the early stages of the previous game against Charlton during which they only had to go one goal down before the sleeves were rolled up.

It turns out the Italians already have a word for what’s been missing on Norwich City’s off days.

By introducing it to us Clement has managed to sum up several paragraphs of Canary concern in one word.

If one player summed up the spirit required for Championship success on Saturday it was Mathias Kvistgaarden.

The Dane competed brilliantly to further enhance his growing Carrow Road cult hero status.

He might not have scored but the final passes to Anthony Musaba and Paris Maghoma for the second and third goals were Kvistgaarden’s.

Given that his name is basically pronounced “Chris Goreham” it’s impossible not to have a particular soft spot for the ex-Brondby man.

He started the season as the underdog in the battle to be City’s starting striker.

Mohamed Toure’s frankly ridiculous goalscoring record was enough to shut down any argument about his all-round contribution.

Toure had blossomed after Jovon Makama’s injury back in February.

Kvistgaarden looked set to be third choice, the other two had attributes that were more obviously suited to Clement’s approach.

Strikers will always be judged, first and foremost, on goals scored.

Both Makama and Kvistgaarden have averaged one goal every 173 minutes on the pitch in the Championship since joining the Canaries last summer.

If you add assists into the equation, Makama’s average improves to one goal contribution every 158 minutes but Kvistgaarden’s to an impressive one every 130 minutes.

For the record Toure averages a goal every 75 minutes in the Championship and a goal contribution every 61 minutes.

It’s hard to believe that those numbers are sustainable but as he’s out until around January it’s a good job that Norwich have other options to call on.

In trying to describe how Kvistgaarden uses his jumping ability to make up for his lack of height, I likened him during Saturday’s commentary to Zebedee from The Magic Roundabout.

This seemed to bamboozle the former City winger Cedric Anselin who was on the mic alongside me.

Perhaps it’s an age thing but it’s increasingly difficult to pitch cultural reference points to a wide enough audience.

I probably lost quite a few younger readers with that mention of “Call My Bluff” a bit earlier on.

Ex-Norwich City loan striker Harry Kane was recently crowned the Ballon D'Or winner (Image: PA)

Norwich City must have achieved a unique hat-trick in the past week.

How many other football clubs can boast winning the Ballon d’Or, baseball’s World Series and three points against Watford in the space of five days?

Okay, the first two were vicarious in nature.

Harry Kane has propelled himself to the undisputed best footballer on the planet despite his five appearances for the Canaries in 2012/13 rather than because of them.

But it’s there in black and white that a former Canary has won football’s most prestigious individual prize.

Mark Attanasio’s Milwaukee Brewers remarkable triumph is also one that might have been celebrated more in these parts had City been higher up the Championship.

It proves that he can take a smaller team to the top in one sport at least.

Whether baseball nous is transferrable to English football remains to be seen.

So congratulations to Kane and the Brewers but they weren’t the highlights of the week for Norwich City fans.

Canary supporters would have traded any number of Ballon d’Ors and World Series for a single win over Watford.

Returning to winning ways at Carrow Road was vital for City after a stumbling start to the season.

The way the team went 2-0 down will leave some residue of concern but the terrific second half recovery at least answered any questions about a lack of character.

It was like a “Hollywood Blockbuster” according to stand-in skipper Sam Field when he spoke to the media after the game.

With a Ballon d’Or and a World Series under our belts perhaps the next Norwich City target is to top the Box Office charts?