Wright was appointed for his third spell at Chester back in November

Chester City manager Mark Wright has vowed that he intends to remain at the club even though they have been relegated to the Blue Square Premier.

City officially went down from the Football League for the second time in nine years with Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Darlington.

But Wright will only stay if owner Stephen Vaughan remains at the club.

"If the chairman stays we will stay together and we will fight," he told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"The next couple of weeks is going to tell a lot in terms of where the club is but I've said before, if the chairman stays, then I'll stay.

"We've been working together for the last six weeks on a list of players ready for League Two and the Conference and we've done a lot of homework.

"We have earmarked certain players and spoken to agents for the ilk of players that I would like here."

Wright was the City manager when they won promotion back to the League in 2004 after four years of Conference football.

But the former Liverpool and England centre-half knows that Chester will be up against it come August, given the quality of teams they will be up against.

"Everyone's got to be realistic," said Wright. "You're talking about Luton, Oxford, Mansfield and Wrexham.

"They'll probably have three times our budget so we've got to hand pick the right players, use the loan system and use the good youngsters we have here."

Wright was also quick to offer a warning to those of his better-paid players who he feels have not pulled their weight in City's battle against the drop.

"The chairman has been so enthusiastic," he said. "At times it's unfair on him.

"He's given players real big money for a club of this stature and they haven't repaid him on the football field.

"Now comes the time to say to the big earners 'Off you go'."

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