Robins won’t dwell on low transfer kitty

FOCUSING on the gulf in finances between Coventry City and their Championship rivals is “pointless”, Sky Blues boss Mark Robins has said.

City are back in the second tier for the first time in nine years and after promotion from League One, Robins knows they are on the back foot, with some clubs able to spend £50-60million, he believes.

But dwelling over the difference in finances is not going to help City survive in the Championship. They have to get on with the job in hand.

“We have gone faster than the club anticipated,” Robins told the Sunday Mirror. “We are now in a league where the competition is very serious. We have to move with it.

“We have to get better, and quickly – and there is only one way we can do it. We cannot spend anywhere near the money spent by a lot of other clubs in the Championship.

“We will have the lowest budget in the division – barring none – and I know that Wycombe have been promoted.

“But I don’t want to dwell on that because it’s pointless. I need to bring in players who can grow with us.”

Six signings have arrived so far, and more are expected, but then it’s case of them gelling quickly to ensure City are not left behind. And that’s not the only challenge. The schedule is busier than ever with the season shortened by a month.

Robins said it needs to be appreciated how difficult the task is: “It’s going to be a damn sight harder now. It’s not really been picked up yet but games are going to come at us thick and fast because the start of the season has been pushed back and you are finishing at the same time.

“We have to get up to speed. There’s a huge gap between League One and the Championship.

“There are clubs working with budgets for their first team of £50-60million, and upwards of that. We are competing in a league that, in terms of the finances, it is totally out of our league.

“But there are always things you can do to bridge that gap.”