Micky Adams is not a man to mince his words, so there will be a lot of players looking over their shoulders after he warned that ' complacent' squad members would find themselves warming the bench next to him.

The manager's initial fury after Coventry City's 3-2 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday may have subsided, but it was the straw that broke the camel's back as far as he is concerned.

The Sky Blues entertain Crystal Palace tomorrow, desperate for points after an inconsistent start to their campaign has left them in 18th position.

Adams' frustrations was compounded by their latest setback and he has admitted that he is actively seeking recruits to bolster his squad. West Bromwich Albion's Andrew Johnson is believed to be his No 1 target and Adams is optimistic that he could have a new signing in time for tomorrow's clash with the south London club.

However, irrespective of whether Adams is able to complete any loan signings this week, he is adamant there will definitely be changes for next week's road trip to Ipswich and Leicester, as he needs to remove certain members of his squad from the comfort zone.

"I am active in the transfer market at present," said Adams. "Nothing has happened as yet but we will be working hard over the next two weeks to bring in new faces.

"Some players at this club have become complacent, which is a dangerous thing and I have highlighted a couple of positions that we need to improve.

"A lot of managers talk to their players, but actions speak louder than words. When the people concerned are sitting next to me on the bench, or not even in the 16, then they will know who they are. Some of the players are playing for their futures."

Despite his obvious anger, Adams is not surprised at their current plight. When he took over the reins from Peter Reid last season, the team were languishing in the bottom three and avoided relegation with only one game to spare.

Ostensibly, with just a couple of additions, Adams is working with the same squad and he assessed their chances with refreshing candour.

"We finished last term with a flourish, but I never said that we would be a topsix team in the summer. This is virtually the same squad that was in the relegation zone when I arrived," he said.

"We have bought in Matt Heath, James Scowcroft, Stephen Bywater and Clayton Ince and the last two of those are goalkeepers. I wouldn't call that wholesale changes and you need betterquality players to improve."

But Adams has been pleased with the trainingground response of his current staff to their travails and is searching for home comforts once again tomorrow.

It will be a tough task against a Palace side just cranking into gear and there is a possibility that England's Andrew Johnson will return from injury to partner Clinton Morrison.

Nevertheless, Coventry's manager has been given a boost with the news that his injury list has cleared up appreciably during their twoweek hiatus.

Rob Page is suspended and Stuart Giddings has gone to the United States to see renowned surgeon Dr Richard Steadman about his troublesome knee, yet Adams still has enough options.

"They have shown encouraging signs on the training ground," he said. "The last game is out of our system."