BLUEBIRDS’ assistant boss Richard Fey says instant success was never the mandate for himself and player-boss Nathan Rudge at Chippenham Town.

The management duo have endured a mixed start to their first campaign at the helm at Hardenhuish Park and Fey concedes that results need to improve for his side.

But he has also moved to deny rumours that his club are pumping big money into their wage bill this season and insists that Town will continue to act sensibly as they look to climb the Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division.

Rudge yesterday confirmed that captain Scott Rogers had left the club due to work commitments, while Brandon Barnes had joined Paulton Rovers on a month’s loan.

Fey said: “We’ve got a small squad and, like we’ve said all along, we can’t compete with the big payers in this league. People go around saying we’ve got a massive budget – we haven’t.

“The chairman’s not stupid enough to give two young lads a massive budget to go and win the league.

“What we’re trying to do is build a side to compete and we want lads here for the right reason. We just want to get a settled squad and our side out there now.”

Saturday’s 1-0 reverse at Redditch United was Town’s seventh in 15 league games and while they are only eight points off the play-off places, they are also just three above the relegation zone.

Fey said: “For eight out of the last ten games, we’ve said that we deserved something and the league table doesn’t lie.

“I know it’s tight and we can move up with a few wins but the only thing that people care about is results.

“It’s easy for the manager to come in and kick off, saying this and saying that, but we couldn’t ask any more of them “We just need to get a couple of wins. Look at the league table at Christmas and hopefully we’re there above mid-table.”

Rudge said he would consider his options before deciding whether to seek a replacement for Rogers.

“We have plenty of midfielders, but we’re always looking for good players,’’ he said.