Friday 2 January 2015 16:40, UK
Tony Pulis insists he is under no illusions over his task to keep West Brom in the Premier League after he was unveiled as the club's new manager on Friday.
The former Stoke and Crystal Palace boss said they must “find a way to win” after signing a two-and-a-half-year deal to succeed Alan Irvine, who was sacked after winning just four league games this season.
Pulis, 56, believes the club must pull together over all decision-making, amid questions over who makes the final call on transfers, and he stressed the importance of building a strong relationship with chairman Jeremy Peace.
“Someone asked me if I minded being called ‘head coach’. You can call me ‘head bottle washer’ if you want – titles don’t make a difference,” Pulis told his first press conference.
“As long as I know there are specific responsibilities that I’m in charge of, I don’t care what I’m called.
“A lot has been said about the way the club has been run in the past and how it’s going to be run with me in the future. The most important thing is that everyone works together, irrespective of who makes the decisions.
“The infrastructure of this football club is in place, but that’s secondary. What happens on the pitch comes first and if you don’t have the team to win games, then all the surroundings fall away to insignificance.
“Everybody understands the position we’re in. The fact the club has been struggling and only won four games at the Hawthorns in 2014 means that something is wrong and has to be sorted out.
Just because I’m here now doesn’t mean we will stay up. There is a lot of work to do and we have to pull together to make sure the club stays up.
“Just because I’m here now doesn’t mean we will stay up. There is a lot of work to do and we have to pull together to make sure the club stays up.”
Pulis built a long and successful relationship with Stoke chairman Peter Coates during a seven-year spell at the Britannia Stadium but left Palace on the eve of the current season after disagreements with club’s board.
“The relationship between manager and chairman is the biggest at any football club," said Pulis. "That communication is key and you’ve got to make sure you’re working together for the same cause.
“Everyone knows how much respect I have for Peter Coates and the Stoke family but that was built up over many years. I will try and build the same here with Jeremy and hopefully get same time to do that.”
