On this day: Cotterill's battle to rebuild Pompey squad

The Blues manager confessed the club's transfer embargo was making him play catch-up against his Championship rivals.

Pompey were unable to sign anybody until July 17 at the earliest '“ when the Company Voluntary Arrangement was to be cleared.

Cotterill explained he had players lined up, but was having to take them on trust that they would not move elsewhere.

Speaking to The News. he said: '˜I would normally be further ahead with things.

'˜I would have more players and the team sorted out in my head.

'˜That's difficult to do at the moment, because there are a lot of balls up in the air and we are waiting for a few to drop.

'˜It's a bit awkward at the moment, but we'll get there and things will drop into place just in time.

'˜It's nothing new. What I could have done with perhaps was being in the job two or three weeks earlier.

'˜Then, perhaps, I might not have missed out on certain people.

'˜There are certain markets we are looking at.

'˜We are looking at the free transfer market at the moment. Then, in August and the latter part of the month especially, the loan market kicks in.

'˜The free transfers out there now, with all due respect, are probably not going to be quite good enough for what we want.

'˜Or there are the ones where who are waiting around for Premier League clubs, and you are competing with them for their signature. That's the bracket I'm in at the moment.

'˜I might be able to agree them, I just can't sign them at the moment.

'˜I've just got to be careful that people don't swoop on them too quickly. I'm hopeful on that.

'˜It basically works on gentleman's agreements and a handshake.

'˜How often does that happen? Last Thursday at 11.30pm. The night before at about 12.30am.

'˜It's a few late nights and a bit of trust at the moment. That's the only way I can work.

'˜I have no other way of doing it at the moment.

'˜I have a couple on the go '“ free transfers. We'll have to see what happens now.'

The likes of Arsenal defender Kyle Bartley and Spurs duo Danny Rose and Kyle Walker had been mentioned in terms of loans.