Cardiff City manager Russell Slade has admitted that he is still in the hunt for new signings before the Championship campaign gets underway.

The Bluebirds ramped up their preparations for the 2015-16 season by beating top-flight new boys Watford 2-1 on Tuesday evening.

Slade has come in for criticism after failing to turn around his side's fortunes since being appointed last October, but the former Leyton Orient chief has put up a staunch defence of his time at the helm.

"I think only a fool would say we've gone backwards or made no progression," he is quoted as saying by Wales Online. "They are Premier League teams and that's where we want to be. We wanted these games because we wanted to show how much progress we have made."

Asked about his side's transfer dealing to date, in which just two new faces have arrived, Slade added: "There's possibilities of us doing more.

"Those in the game will tell you - one or two aside - it's been a slow window in the Championship and we haven't done as much business as we wanted – but that does not mean we are not going to challenge for anything because we have got a good group."

Cardiff face another newly-promoted Premier League side in Bournemouth on Friday evening in their final pre-season fixture.