SAMBA DEAL WAS MADNESS Pulis still calling Potters shots

TONY PULIS will still have the final say on Stoke’s transfer policy – despite owner Peter Coates admitting he “never liked” their £10million club record move for Peter Crouch.

Chairman Coates claimed last weekend he was not a fan of Pulis’ plan to land the beanpole striker (left) from Spurs 18 months ago, but was still happy to back his manager’s judgement. He said: “Sometimes you do things for different reasons.

“Really, I never liked that deal financially. But I did it to support the manager, who was very keen.”

But the Potters chairman played down the controversial comments yesterday.

He said: “I did question the deal financially because it was a lot of money. If you buy a player at the latter end of his career, it’s quite clearly more difficult to get your money back.

“But the manager wanted him so I did it for the manager. At no time was it a criticism of the player.”

The owner insists Pulis, who has voiced his desperation to keep the Potters up to give the Coates family “the reward they deserve,” will continue to call the shots when it comes to transfers – unlike many of his managerial counterparts.

Coates said: “No player will come into the club or go out of the club without his approval first.

“That’s clear.

“He may be one of the few managers in the game to be in that privileged position, I don’t know, but that is certainly the situation here.”

absolutely

crystal