Royle told not to panic

City chairman David Bernstein is ready to make more available

Manchester City boss Joe Royle has been told that time and money are available to halt the slide at Maine Road.

City remain one place from the bottom of the Premiership after a 4-0 home drubbing at the hands of Leeds on Saturday, but Royle still retains the support of the men in the boardroom.

"Joe is very resilient," City chairman David Bernstein told Radio 5 Live.

"He had difficult times at Oldham, where he did a fantastic job, and at Everton. He's brought tremendous qualities to Maine Road. He's helped us transform the club.

I'm not in that vote of confidence game because people laugh at that. He'll have the time that he needs. We've got great belief in Joe

  David Bernstein

"He needs time. I think in our situation with the progress that we've made over the last two years, he needs time, and it's very important that he has that time.

"I'm not in that vote of confidence game because people laugh at that. He'll have the time that he needs. We've got great belief in Joe."

Nevertheless, things look bleak for the blue half of Manchester, with just one win from 13 games.

But Bernstein retains faith in the man who dragged City out of the second division and into one of the top leagues in the world.

"One has to go back two or three years, and the club was in a hell of a state. It was known for its lack of stability and we had financial problems at the time.

"The club has come forward a hell of a long way, and the fact that we're having a sticky time now, we have to face that. We have to work very, very hard.

"We have to look to bring a bit more quality into the side, I think that's apparent, but I'm sure we can do that."

Slide

Royle has already spent £16m this season to bring in the likes of Steve Howey, Laurent Charvet, Richard Dunne and Darren Huckerby.

We worked damn hard to get to where we have got to - the last thing we want to do is throw it away

  David Bernstein

And more money may be spent to arrest the current slide, although the books must be balanced.

"We haven't got an infinite amount of money, and again, as we get to this sort of situation, the need gets greater but the risk also gets greater because the gap between income levels in the Premier League and the First Division is absolutely enormous.

"We do have to behave responsibly, which we will do.

"We have done up to now and we will do. What we won't do is get the club back to the state it was in three or four years ago when it was in a very, very tight financial position.

"We're looking hard. Joe has got licence to get these players when he can.

"We worked damn hard to get to where we have got to - the last thing we want to do is throw it away."