Coventry City should play in red shirts rather than the sky blue, then they might get the work permit for Muhamed Konjic more quickly, says manager Gordon Strachan.

The Scot’s frustration at the length of time it is taking for the permit to come through, turned to anger when he learned that Arsenal had beaten City to it.

The ‘Gunners’ received their permit today for the Nigerian striker Nwankwo Kanu, yet he was signed later than Konjic.

Today City’s manager Gordon Strachan said:

"Manchester United and Liverpool had no problems getting permits for Poborsky and Berger. Maybe we should play in red shirts."

Strachan said that there had been a hitch because the players union, the PFA, asked why the club needed to sign a Bosnian and wanted to know how many home grown players had been approached.

Strachan said he had detailed the players they had looked at within their price range and no one had been available. He had then looked overseas. Earlier this week Gordon Taylor of the PFA said the matter had been cleared and the relevant paperwork had been sent to the government ministry.

But the Department for Education and Employment said it had not received the paperwork. Coventry have now lodged an official complaint with the Department.