So you are an owner new to football and you have purchased a brand new team in the top flight. But no manager. Which of these three would you target?
Has to be Pulis for his career record but for man management and decency I'd take Steve Bruce every time.
Shame on all of us who say Pulis, but Pulis for me.....never been relegated, made Stoke a solid mid table team who other teams hated playing against, and this season turned a Palace team which looked like they couldn't stay up in the Championship into a solid mid table Premier League team.
If I had to choose it'd be Bruce, but because it's my club I'm doing it myself. Player Manager & Xmas do organiser.
As much as I hate to say it, it has to be Pulis. Top notch record. Give it a couple of years - if Bruce consolidates us and takes us consistently mid-table whilst flirting with silverware - it'd be him. Just needs a bit more time for his achievements to truly compare to Pulis'.
Hasn't Bruce achieved just as much over the years? Maybe we'd be where Palace are in the league if we also went out in the 4th round of the FA cup... They haven't had close to as much bad luck with injuries either as far as I'm aware.
Results wise it obviously has to be Pulis. I much prefer Bruce on the whole but he isn't as successful. Mind you it depends on the aim of the club. For a newly promoted PL side you'd want Pulis but Bruce has a brilliant record for getting Championship teams promoted. Style obviously comes into it too; are you bothered about playing Pulisball? And of course if you want your manager to be a rabid arm-waver with psychotic bulging eyes and a ridiculous voice then Poyet's your man.
I don't think he has, to be honest. He built Stoke into a solid club. I'm not sure if Bruce has played the long game and built a club, although I don't know all the facts about his time at Birmingham. If Brucey hangs around for a while, builds a premiership club with great training facilities and academy, then he really will compete with Pulis. This is not a slight on Bruce, he's been fantastic so far and I am looking forward to the future with him but he needs (and has) time.
I would sooner Bruce just concentrated on the team then arse about getting involved in construction. I bet he's never layed a brick in his life. Nor have I for that matter, but I understand there's some considerable art to it.
Has to be Bruce, took us to the cup final and Europe as well as also in the league. Plus Bruce has been manager for the whole season, whereas Pulis and Poyet for less than a season, who know what they would have done if they has actually managed for the whole season, it could have been a different outcome.
No it doesn't to manage a team for the whole season is harder than just part of it. So is it fair to say well one manager we will judge you over 38 games the other one over 19 games. Know doubt Pulis has done a great job, but it is manager of the season not half the season.
