Pulis given time to make changes

TONY PULIS is planning to take Boro forward next season – whichever division they are in.

The boss has spent the last few months trying to alter the playing system and also the mindset at the Riverside.

Boro are far from being the best side in the Championship, but Pulis has managed to keep a season alive which was in danger of flickering out in mid-campaign.

If Boro do manage to scrape back up to the Premier League through the play-offs, then Pulis is certain to be given a war chest by chairman Steve Gibson to try to ensure that Boro stay in the top flight this time.

If it’s another season of Championship football, then Pulis will still receive the full backing of the chairman to try to ensure that nothing goes wrong next time.

Pulis admitted last week that he had been gradually making changes within the squad, but added that “given time, we can hopefully put things in place that can push this football club on”.

In the short term, Pulis has appealed for his players to express themselves “both as individuals and as a team” to try to get the necessary play-off points from the final three matches.

Pulis has already made a massive contribution towards halting the club’s disastrous slide which began in the Premier League.

It’s debatable whether previous boss Garry Monk could have taken Boro this close to a play-off place.

Remarkably, Pulis has sparked a fighting finale, despite having completely changed around the team’s playing system.

He inherited a half-decent squad which played football in the traditional way. But Pulis wanted a more solid, organised and direct approach.

Ironically, only three of Monk’s signings have been regulars in Pulis’ team – Darren Randolph, Ryan Shotton and Jonny Howson.

All three have enjoyed decent campaigns, with Shotton having needed to wait for the arrival of Pulis before being handed the opportunity to establish himself.

It hasn’t been easy for the players to buy into what Pulis wants. That’s taking into account the fact eight players in the starting line-up were regulars under Aitor Karanka, who operated a completely different system during his three and a half years at the

helm. Maybe that’s one reason Tony Pulis is plotting the way ahead for Boro beyond the current season why Boro have lacked consistency. Last weekend they were strong and positive against Nottingham Forest at the Riverside but went to Sheffield United three days later and failed to turn up in the first half.

It’s these occasional shows of weakness which indicate that more improvements are needed. But in the meantime, every effort will be made by the manager to try to push his side past the finishing post this season.

While Boro still have a chance of a playoff place, the players must battle hard to take it.