Pulis weighing up his options

Hyperupdate · Jan 29, 2011

From the Team-talk website

Stoke boss Tony Pulis says he has a fine balancing act to perform with his team selection to ensure he gets the best return from the next week.

The Potters have three matches in a seven days, kicking off in the FA Cup fourth round at Wolves on Sunday, followed by a midweek trip to Liverpool, before they host Sunderland next Saturday lunchtime.

Pulis has stressed on many occasions the Premier League remains the club's number-one priority and despite his side sitting 10th, eight points clear of the relegation zone, he is keen for them to secure a fourth successive season in the top flight as soon as possible.

But a place in the last 16 of the cup is not an opportunity to pass up, although the Stoke boss believes the Potters have been dealt the worst hand by the fixture list.

"We would love to go to Molineux and get a result that takes us through to the fifth round of the cup but we also have to take into account the fact that the games haven't dropped kindly for us," he said.

"It is disappointing they are playing the FA Cup fourth round on a Saturday when there is a midweek fixture - why they couldn't they have organised it for a free week I just don't know.

"We've got a three-game week while both Liverpool and Sunderland are out of the cup so they only have a two-game week.

"We play Liverpool on the Wednesday, Sunderland play on the Tuesday, and then we kick-off Saturday morning.

"Whichever way you cook it, the odds have fallen away from us this week in respect of the games.

"For us the Sunday and Wednesday games and the time in between is long enough - the one thing which really annoys me is that we have to play Sunderland on the Saturday morning.

"We've got a very tough second half of the season to get the points we need to stay in the Premier League, so we have to take all that into consideration in how we use the squad to get us through."

Despite making wholesale changes for the third round replay at Cardiff just over a week ago Pulis has hinted he is looking at sending out a stronger side.

"I pick a team to win every game and Wolves will be a tough game," he added.

"We will take a strong team there. This is a big game for us because if we can get through and get a good draw then you never know what can happen."

One area where the Potters will definitely be weaker is on central defence with captain Ryan Shawcross beginning a two-match suspension after his sending-off against Fulham last weekend.

Pulis is hopeful, however, that Danny Higginbotham will have recovered from the hamstring injury sustained in the replay win over Cardiff.
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Pulis weighing up his options

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Pulis weighing up his options

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