PULIS IN THE WILDER NESS
New Wednesday boss gunning for city rivals
TONY PULIS has vowed to overhaul city rivals Sheffield United and insisted Wednesday are a bigger club.
The new Owls boss yesterday revealed he spent an 18- month break from management studying historical leaders and a battle.
He went to South Africa to visit the site of Rorke’s Drift, where 150 troops repelled 3,000 Zulus. He also visited Corsica to celebrate Napoleon’s 250th birthday.
And he studied Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his great feats of survival in the ice. “Unbelievable how they got out of that position in the wilderness,” he said.
Pulis says it was inspirational and took the Hillsborough job because it is a mission of his own to overhaul Chris Wilder and reach the Premier League.
“If I could take them to the Premier League, play United in a local derby at Hillsborough, that would be my dream,” said Pulis, 62.
“The success United have had – I want to spin it round and get it for us. That is the enormous challenge I want.”
Pulis took the 11th managerial job of his career, aiming to bring “stability” and solve why Wednesday have plunged out of promotion contention in the last two seasons under predecessor Garry Monk.
Wednesday are currently 23rd in the Championship following a six- point deduction and have scored just six goals all season.
Sheffield United are bottom of the top flight and facing a relegation fight with just one point.
Pulis said: “We have an enormous following. No disrespect to Sheffield United, but this club would be the biggest in Sheffield if we got into the Premier League.
“But at the moment we are not. Chris Wilder has built United for up five years and got stability. We need that stability.
“If this club took off you’d get t 40,000 people here. It’d be a special place. Talking about it t and achieving it is different. You have to get lots of things in place.
“We have to turn it round and make Hillsborough positive.
“I am excited by it because of the size of the club.
“It is a massive club, a sleeping giant and a long time since it pushed off and they are in a precarious position.
“You don’t get offered a job like this often.
“It is a club with a lot of potential. When I have managed against them, they have had a massive following and they always struck me as loyal and passionate.”