Millen- Lifes not bad

The npower Championship club face something of an upheaval following Steve Coppell`s shock resignation and retirement from football management on Thursday. Coppell quit after just 112 days citing a lack of passion for the job as the reason behind his decision.

But Millen said: "I don`t think there is a crisis or a lack on confidence in the squad."

Injury-hit City have made a disappointing start to the season, losing their opening league fixture 3-0 at home to newly-promoted Millwall before going out of the Carling Cup at the hands of League Two side Southend on Tuesday night.

Millen, who has had two spells as caretaker boss since taking up a coaching role at Ashton Gate in 2004, was immediately handed the reins on a full-time basis following Coppell`s departure. He will begin his three-year contract with a trip to Doncaster and expects events this week to have little impact on his players.

"The players are a little bit down because this is a shock to them too. But players are resilient and they bounce back quickly and hopefully we can get a good response from them on Saturday.

"All this will take a while to sink in but I have learnt that you have to take every day as it comes. You have to prioritise on what is needed on that day and make sure you do that well and progress from there. My priority is to get the lads settled down and then to focus them on the game and hopefully a good performance."

Another priority is to appoint an assistant, a role Millen himself has filled for over five years under Brian Tinnion and Gary Johnson. The 43-year-old revealed he has names in mind for the position.

He added: "It is totally my decision, and I was thinking about it overnight on Wednesday if I am honest.

"It is all about the personality and character needed to work with me and someone I think the club needs. We have some great staff here already but we are a man down now. It will be one of the first things I look to address and I have two or three people in mind."

Source: PA

Source: PA