Pulis milestone rescued by Rondon
ONLY a fortnight ago, it could be presumed that an email from the League Managers’ Association titled ‘Tony Pulis statement’ meant bad news for the West Brom manager.
In the midst of a takeover and indifferent results, his position was severely under threat – so much so that Pulis himself did not know what the future held.
He still doesn’t, although this return to Stoke might have been worse but for Salomon Rondon’s last-gasp equaliser.
As it was, that LMA note on Thursday morning was one of celebration as he joined what Alex Ferguson called a ‘Band of Brothers’. The stalwarts who just keep on going.
Yesterday marked 1,000 matches in management for the 58-year-old, whose day in the limelight was spent at old employers synonymous with his career.
‘You couldn’t have picked a better place for me to reach it,’ Pulis smiled. ‘The place is wonderful and the crowd were fantastic to me when I was here.
‘This football club’s been stitched into my body. It’s always a result I look for. I’ll always have respect for the wonderful people here.’
Fitting that West Brom were undone with 17 minutes remaining in the scrappiest of fashion with Joe Allen netting his first goal since his £13million move from Liverpool.
They replied with a stoppage-time equaliser, Jonathan Leko’s corner headed into Lee Grant’s net at the near post by Rondon. ‘Wonderful,’ Pulis said – again. STOKE (4-3-3): Grant 6.5; Johnson 7, Shawcross 7, Martins Indi 6, Pieters 6; Cameron 6, Allen 8 (Adam 86min), Whelan 6.5; Arnautovic 6.5, Bony 5 (Crouch 61, 6), Shaqiri 7.5 (Diouf 88). Subs (not used): Given, Bardsley, Imbula, Crouch, Bojan. BOOKED: Shawcross, Whelan, Adam. WEST BROM (4-1-4-1): Foster 6.5; Dawson 7.5, McAuley 6, Evans 6.5, Nyom 6; Yacob 6 (Morrison 77); Phillips 6 (Leko 88), Fletcher 7, Chadli 6, McClean 6.5 (Robson-Kanu 77); Rondon 7. Subs (not used): Myhill, Gardner, Olsson, Field. Booked: Dawson, Nyom, Yacob, Chadli. Referee: M Atkinson 5.