REPORT: Stoke City manager Tony Pulis feels sorry for the Coates family in club assessment

Regardless of the support the Coates family has given the manager, Tony Pulis can sympathize with them with Stoke City’s woeful performance at the bottom of the Championship.

When Pulis was questioned about Stoke’s present difficulties as a guest on TalkSport, he sounded hurt. With 15 games left, the team has completely rebuilt its roster with 23 new additions. However, they face Queens Park Rangers today at the bet365 Stadium in a crucial game that will determine if they stay in the relegation zone.

“Let’s go back to the start,” said Pulis. “They were held back a little bit with fair play and finances in the previous two years, that was cleared and then they brought in 17 players, 17, 18, it might even be more than that. John (Coates) has backed the manager to bring in players, John and the director of football, whatever his name is. They’ve brought those players in, the manager and the sporting director.

“It must be difficult for the family at the moment. They are a very, very wealthy family obviously but they turn around, they give managers, time after time, the amount of money that they’ve got and the option and the chance to change it and it just doesn’t happen. It must be very frustrating.”

Stoke has suffered four straight losses, which has raised relegation concerns. Since then, the team has spent ten years in the Premier League and hasn’t finished outside the top two divisions since 2002. Under Pulis, the team managed to stay in the Championship with a victory on the penultimate day in 2003.

The outcome of tonight’s game will significantly affect the club’s atmosphere, but Pulis remained optimistic, saying, “I still think that there’s a long way of the season to go.” Two triumphs The Championship doesn’t let up. Being a manager in this league is really difficult.

“I really enjoyed the Premier League, not just because it’s the best league in the world but you had time to prepare your team to play oppositions. The opposition might be different, it might have different strengths week in, week out, but you’ve got that time.

“In the Championship you’re just playing and resting, playing and resting and recovering. It’s 14 weeks of three games and that’s without cup competitions.”

TalkSport host Jim White informed Pulis that while some Stoke fans had been contacting him, pleading for him to come back as a possible savior, the 66-year-old had declared his retirement at the beginning of the previous year and was not planning to dig out his baseball cap.

“No, I’m not (for turning),” he said. “We were down on the beach yesterday (with his family) and it’s just wonderful. I love my sport, I went to Twickenham on Saturday, I watch football as much as I can and golf. I’ve had my go and it’s been absolutely fantastic and I appreciate everything football has done for me.”