Coventry City chairman Ray Ranson has said the signing of defender Richard Wood is a statement of intent.
Mr Ranson has had to endure a lot of discontent from City fans who have seen some of the better players sold with young players from the lower leagues coming in to replace them.
Recent poor form has seen the team slide down the league and attendances have fallen as a result.
Mr Ranson still insists that the club is on course to turn things around and achieve the club's long term aim of winning promotion to the Premiership. Ranson said, "It is a major coup for us to sign Richard, particularly given that we have only won one game in nine and are currently 17th in the league, So to sign a player of his calibre ahead of a number of other clubs who were competing for him says a great deal about us." 
"The manager and myself, with the support of the board, have put a lot of hard work in to get Richard to come to the club. He bought into what we are trying to achieve and hopefully everyone can see what we are trying to do with the long-term project."
"The team have been hit hard with the number of injuries recently but we are getting players back and we want to put a team out there that the fans can be proud of and that is competing at the top end of this league."
"I hope the fans can see that and will get behind the players on Saturday and for the rest of the season."
"Recent results don't reflect all the hard work that we have been doing over the last 18 months or so, largely because of the injuries we have had."
Chris Coleman spoke about persuading Wood to join The Sky Blues over the other interested clubs,"There have been a few clubs in for him so I am delighted to get him, We showed him round the training ground and then the stadium and told him what we were trying to do at the club and where we want to go."