CHARLTON manager Alan Curbishley has admitted for the first time that the club’s new signings were taking far longer to settle than he first imagined.

Speaking after Monday’s inept performance in the televised goalless draw with Southampton at The Valley, which saw the players jeered off at the end by their own supporters, Curbishley refused to make excuses for his multi-million crop of new talent.

He said: “No player has a divine right to think that just because he’s been bought for a lot of money he’s going to turn up at his new club and suddenly everything is going to be rosy.

“It would have been nice if we had got our business done early so we could have had longer to bed them in. I can’t explain why people like Danny Murphy couldn’t pass it 10 yards sometimes. And he’s a really good player. We passed for fun when we beat Aston Villa, we couldn’t pass water against Southampton.

“Quite a few players suffered out there tonight and some we’ve got to work on. I’ve been critical of our defending but if it hadn’t been for the back four and the goalkeeper we would have been beaten.

“So that was one plus point but I accept there weren’t many. That’s why I’m upbeat because we got a point without ever playing well.

“I’m bound to say that apart from the Villa game we haven’t got going this season. But then it’s such a long season that I’ll take that point because there will be games when we’ll get on top and get nothing.

“Give Southampton credit because they came here and worked as hard as any team has against us and stopped us playing. We can only look at ourselves and say that it wasn't good enough.”

Of the crowd’s hostile reaction at the end, he added: “The crowd were getting on everyone’s back tonight. If we had been a newly-promoted side playing here tonight they would have clapped us off after getting a point. But we’ve gone past being the new team in the Premier League because we’ve been here a long time.

“We didn’t play well and the crowd were critical five games into a new season. But you can't knock them because they pay their money so it’s down to them, though it’s not an ideal situation."

Asked about his unpopular substitution of Dennis Rommedahl in the 75th minute, which drew catcalls from the crowd, he explained: “I thought Dennis looked bright first half but I didn't see him too much of him in the second half.

“I knew Southampton would bring on Peter Crouch so we had to counter that threat which is why I took Dennis off and brought on another defender in El Karkouri because their main threat was coming from corners and long throws.”

With club captain Matt Holland still nowhere near full fitness, Curbishley looks likely to name the same squad for Saturday's match at Birmingham.