Coppell to bide his time

City boss Steve Coppell has refused to blame injuries for the team’s opening day mauling by Millwall.

The Robins were missing no fewer than eight first-team players as we lost 3-0 to the newly-promoted Lions at Ashton Gate on Saturday, prompting some fans calling on the City manager to splash the cash.

Despite seeing new loan signing Sam Vokes stretchered off on his debut and Damion Stewart’s dismissal, Coppell refuses to abandon his principles just for a quick-fix.

“People assume I just phone the chairman and say ‘buy us another one’. But it doesn’t work that way,” Coppell told the Bristol Evening Post.

“It took me five years to build a team and get success at Crystal Palace and three years at Reading. It takes time and you cannot keep rushing into the transfer market every time you are short of bodies.

“I’m sure the chairman could buy success if he wanted, but he wants to build a club and it’s up to me to identify and try to bring in people who are going to be here for a while and contribute.”

City travel to Southend on Tuesday night for the first round of the Carling Cup and are set to be without ten regulars for the trip to Roots Hall (7.45pm).