I am victim of my own success: West Brom chief

0
152

West Brom boss Tony Pulis believes he is a victim of his own success amid speculation about his future.

Reports claim the 59-year-old Welshman, in charge since January 2015, has two games to save his job after nine matches without a league win.

The Baggies entertain champions Chelsea on Saturday before facing Tottenham at Wembley on 25 November.

West Brom finished 10th last season, and Pulis said: “I understand the more you give, the more people want.”

The Baggies are 16th in the Premier League table, one point above the relegation zone.

They won their first two matches of the season, at home to Bournemouthand away at Burnley, but have drawn four and lost five, including the past three, since.

“You don’t have to tell me results have to get better,” added Pulis, who will be without winger Nacer Chadli “for the foreseeable future” because of a thigh injury.

“Last season we stayed in eighth more than any other position in the league.

“We ended up 10th for third time in club’s history. It is only the second time since 1967 that we have finished as the top Midlands club.”

‘What is pressure?’

Pulis is averaging 0.9 points per game this season as opposed to 1.2 in his previous 94 league matches with West Brom. His team’s goals per game ratio is also down from 1.0 to 0.8.

In his final season at Stoke before leaving in May 2013, the Potters scored fewer goals per game than they normally had before and their win percentage and points per game both went down.

Stoke have gained 11 more points than West Brom since Pulis was appointed Baggies boss.

But Pulis defended his record at his news conference on Friday and said a visit to see a young fan at a hospice on Thursday “put life in perspective”.

“I got a call on Tuesday about the lad becoming very poorly,” he said.

“I spent all yesterday afternoon with him. He can’t come to the game. That little boy was fantastic. We deal with people all the time who are focused on football, not what life is all about.

“All the pressure we are supposed to be under. We about what he is going through? Or his parents? What is pressure?”