Bristol City boss Gary Johnson says he will do everything within his power to protect his players from football's rumour mill during the next month.

The January transfer window opened for business yesterday and Johnson is bracing himself for four weeks of speculation and intrigue.

And he is determined not to allow stories in the media and gossip among supporters to deflect City's senior professionals from the task of mounting a sustained challenge for the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs.

January is traditionally an unsettling time for players and managers alike as agents work overtime in pursuit of the best deal possible for their clients and themselves.

"I don't like transfer windows at all," complained Johnson. "For the last month, we've been bombarded with calls from agents and representatives from players all over the world.

"Bristol City has become a club which is known worldwide and that brings the kind of problems we didn't have before.

"Not only are we having to deal with English agents, but with agents from overseas as well.

"That's how rumours start and that is something I find extremely frustrating.

"Agents will use the media to try and drum up business and that can be unsettling for players as well as managers. It's a situation which has steadily become worse over the last few seasons and it's something I have to manage very carefully.

"Some stories may be completely untrue, but they can still turn a player's head and my job is to protect them from that and make sure they stay focussed."

And Johnson claimed rumours started by fans can prove equally destabilising at this time of year.

City players will almost certainly be linked with other clubs during the next month and Johnson warned: "You tend to get more naughtiness and misinformation when things are not going so well.

"Someone will say something in the car park after a game and, all of a sudden, it has been turned round somehow and you have a fully-grown problem.

"It's always a dangerous time when a transfer window opens, because it encourages whispers.

"I have to hope that the supporters trust the manager to tell them what is true. If we do hear anything that is untoward, I will always explain it to them in time."