Slade eyes winter transfer targets in the wake of Rovers defeat...
After losing away to Bristol Rovers in his first game in charge, Russell Slade has identified the January transfer window as crucial to his tenure as Sky Blues manager.
The play-off contenders put four goals past City, including a hat-trick from Billy Bodin, and Slade has suggested that the current group need additions in order to compete in the league.
The 56-year old said: “We’ve got a big job on and January is going to be pivotal to whether we can get to safety or not.
“We’ve been making inquiries everywhere because we need some help, there is no doubt about that.
"That is my job now along with Mark Venus, to get the players who can play a part in making us safe this season."
The Sky Blues travel to Peterborough on New Years eve, while a home tie with Bolton awaits on January 2nd.
Slade believes that his side played their way in to the game, with a third goal of the season from captain Jordan Willis, but weren’t able to further capitalise on a good spell of pressure.
The City boss added: “What I couldn’t understand is that I felt we got ourselves back into the game at 2-1. It was a good response – but that is when we became stretched more than ever.
"It's game management. You have to stay in the game, get nice and solid. Once they got a third goal that made it very difficult for us.
“Did we deserve to get anything? Of course we didn’t because you can’t go conceding four goals away from home.
“That’s what we’ll be working on because we can’t go conceding goals like we did today and expect to get the points that will take us away from the bottom.
“My big thing is that we have to value the basics better; whether it’s a clearance, marking, or closing down – if we don’t value those basics we’re going to be in trouble.”