For reasons unconnected with the powers of alcohol, Gary Johnson has to ensure that his players get over theirs.

No beer is powerful enough to produce the morning-after headaches Bristol City suffered when they missed out on promotion to the Premier League in May by the narrowest of margins.

Johnson's side took the Championship by storm following promotion last season.

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Thanks to a magnificent set of results they led the division for lengthy periods and at one point looked a surefire bet to win automatic promotion.

A late slump, coupled with an improved set of results for Stoke and West Brom, saw the Robins slip into the play-off positions.

The outplayed Crystal Palace over a two-legged semi-final but fell just short in the Wembley final, a spectacular strike from Dean Windass securing victory for Hull and breaking Bristol hearts.

The pain of defeat has taken a long while to ease but after a pre-season during which Johnson has added two players to his squad, the manager is confident his side can repeat last year's heroics.

It won't be easy. Many experts cite second season syndrome and predict that Johnson's men could find things a whole lot tougher this year.

That remains to be seen. One thing for sure is that Johnson never shies from a challenge. He's looking forward to the next nine months and he has lofty ambitions.

"Consolidation is no good. The aim is automatic promotion," said the Robins boss, who is never short of a word or four.

"When the boys started their bleep tests in pre-season training Wembley could not have been further from their minds.

"They are looking forward to playing in what we're calling Premier League Two."

City have recruited midfielder Gavin Williams from Ipswich Town for an undisclosed six-figure fee and Nicky Maynard from Crewe for a club record £2.25m.

Maynard is a class act up front and a real threat. He showed what he can do in his very first game in Bristol City colours, smashing a hat-trick as the Robins hammered Royal Antwerp 4-0 in their final pre-season friendly.

"I was buzzing," admitted the 21-year-old. "I had only just signed for the club and to score a hat-trick just topped the last couple of days off.

"I like to take a gamble in the box, find space and get on the end of the ball."

Johnson missed out on Egypt's Emad Meteb and Coventry's Michael Mifsud before landing Maynard. He's probably happy with how it worked out.
"It's a fantastic deal for us," the boss said. "It's great to have the type of player I've been looking for a while."

Bristol City's two arrivals are in stark contrast to the Seasiders' 12 summer signings.

The Robins are unlikely to make any last-minute deals – Johnson is happy with his squad.

"I don't think there will be any new players in by tomorrow because there isn't enough time," he said.

"We are close to knowing the starting line-up now. Maybe one or two spots are up for grabs but the rest are sorted. The boys have worked hard to get their places."