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Reading manager Steve Coppell has given the strongest hint yet that he intends to shake up life at the Madejski Stadium with a major spending spree in January.

The Royals have been one of the most cautious clubs ever to have taken part in the Premier League with only striker Leroy Lita and midfielder Emerse Fae costing seven-figure sums.

Coppell added just two new faces in the summer but a poor start to the current campaign, which would be intensified should they drop points at home to bottom club Derby on Sunday, has prompted a rethink.

Now the former Crystal Palace boss is preparing to sign a host of experienced players - and is willing to pay over the odds if it means lifting the Royals back up the table.

He said: "In January we have to strengthen this squad, not because we are in any kind of panic situation but because of a desire to be a player in this league rather than a bit-part.

"Every signing you make is a gamble but it is amazing how the more you pay the less of a gamble it is - and you want the odds stacked in your favour as much as possible.

"We have scouts all over the place and a refined network trying to isolate the players we think could help us. I always say it is a fairly limited market that we work in because of the perception of Reading but it is amazing how money talks. It can be very persuasive on occasions.

"We might have to pay more than the going rate for a few people to make ourselves stronger, better and more resilient in this league."

Reading have let in an astonishing 11 goals in their last two games, with last week's 7-4 thrashing at Portsmouth a new Premier League record for a single game aggregate.

Many managers would make wholesale changes following such a defensive disaster but Coppell only does that for the Carling and FA Cups.

Ironically however, he used his former Manchester United manager Tommy Docherty's policy for cup finals to determine who gets to play against Billy Davies' Rams tomorrow.

He said: "I have options. If it was a cup game then I would make a lot of changes but it is not so I won't.

"I always remember Tommy Docherty using the expression "if it was the cup final tomorrow what team would you pick?" You don't go wrong if you can keep to that philosophy.

"That has got to be my mentality - 'what team should I pick knowing that I have got to get a result?'."

Skipper Graeme Murty was convinced the players would bounce back from their Fratton Park humiliation.

He said: "There have been some very angry and frustrated young men in training, which is the very minimum I would have expected from this group of players. Training has been full-on.

"We wanted a game on Tuesday actually to put it right and show the manager it really hurt this bunch to concede so many goals."