He didn't say they weren't much cop (not kop, mate. FUcking hell. Was that a Freudian slip?).

He was saying they won't be absolutely top quality like the ones he wanted. You probably know this, but you've chosen to go with the negative, which is ironic really.

"We've gone for some really top players and we're finding now we might have to come down the ladder. We're going to have to adjust. We're going to have to look at options and players who can do a job"