NEW Bristol City manager Steve Coppell says he has no intention of dismantling the squad he inherited from his predecessor.

Gary Johnson led the Robins to promotion from League One in 2007 and took the club to the Championship play-off final 12 months later, only to leave by mutual consent in March following a series of poor results and performances.

But the man who replaced him at the Ashton Gate helm has paid tribute to Johnson's record and spoken publicly of the need to build upon solid foundations rather than dismantle the structures put in place by the previous manager.

Coppell said: "I look back at Gary's time here and what he achieved and I am impressed. Two 10th-place finishes and a play-off final represent good, solid work. I do not think anybody would dispute that.

"There is no way I am going to tear down everything that he has done immediately. It just would not be to the benefit of the team.

"I want to see the players with me in control before I make any real judgement calls. I would hate to make a judgement call on maybe an isolated game last season where someone played poorly. I would hate to call him a poor player and then make a change which is not necessary.

"The team's record over the last three seasons suggests this is one solid squad and I do not envisage making many changes.

"It is a matter of planning and assessing and getting to understand the playing staff as much as possible. I cannot understand the personalities as yet, but that will come when we start training."

Although Coppell will seek to bolster his squad with "two or three" new signings this summer, he talks of fine tuning rather than a complete overhaul.

He said: "I would like to think that, during my managerial career, I have not wasted too much money.

"I want to get value for money and I always treat the money as though it were my own.

"That is certainly the way I'm looking at it this summer."