Pulis talking down hopes
TONY Pulis says he will not be a miracle worker at Middlesbrough despite helping them to victory yesterday.
Hours after Pulis was announced as their fourth manager of 2017, Boro beat Bolton to stay in the play-off reckoning.
Pulis left his Bournemouth home at 6am to meet Steve Gibson face to face having spent several hours on the phone to the chairman.
The 59-year-old, who does not officially take charge until today, watched from the directors’ box.
But he delivered an impromptu team talk at half-time that did the trick, with both Boro goals coming in the second half from Martin Braithwaite and Britt Assombalonga.
Pulis, who spent the past decade in the Premier League with Stoke, Crystal Palace and West Brom, said he could not promise promotion.
“I’m not going to turn water into wine,” said the Welshman, back in work just a month after being sacked by West Brom. “I need to have a good look at the place before making any of those predictions.
“What I will say is that I saw at times some very good play from us and I liked the attitude in the dressing room at half-time.
“But if everything was perfect I would not be here at all, Garry Monk would be.”
Monk’s shock sacking on Saturday night, fewer than four hours after a 2-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday, came too late to update yesterday’s match programme which included their former manager’s notes.
In them, he wrote: “What is important for everyone to remember is that putting everything together is not an easy thing to do. It does take time.
“I’m well aware we live in a world – especially an industry such as football – where time is not a very respected commodity.”