Tony Pulis EXCLUSIVE: “I’d Have Backed Myself with the Money Man United Have Spent”

Former Stoke boss backs calls to move transfer window

Tony Pulis believes he would have been successful in the Manchester United dugout had he been given the same financial backing as Ruben Amorim, according to a new podcast fronted by the former Stoke manager and counterpart Mick McCarthy.

I find it extraordinary, the amount of money they’ve spent and not been able to put a team together. The managers they’ve picked have been given the money and as a manager that’s all you want – the backing. I’d have backed myself to be successful if I’d have had the amount of money the club has given. The owners take a lot of stick, but they’re not a club that hasn’t been backed financially.

United's Signings Lack Mental Strength

Pulis also suggested the players signed in recent years by the Red Devils have lacked a vital quality required to play for a club of that stature, adding: “Manchester United are the biggest club in the world and to go in there, it’s not just the ability to play, you need to have that mental strength to stand up when things are not going well and fight your way through it. I’m not sure that’s come into play very often. I’ve managed against Sir Alex Ferguson and those teams we played against – they were all great players, but my God did they work.

You’re going back to players like Giggs and Kanchelskis playing wide – they made Gary Neville a better player than what he is, because of the way they worked back and helped out defensively and I think Gary would be the first person to say that. They were obliged because of the leader of the group. Don’t get outworked, outran or outmuscled. And then their ability took over, because they had both.

What’s happened now is, they’ve signed a lot of players who have been technically very good at other clubs, but have they had that steel and that backbone that United need? I’m not sure.

Player Power Unfair On Clubs

Pulis also took aim at Alexander Isak’s drawn out move to Liverpool and believes the saga of the summer transfer window proves that changes are needed to the calendar.

There has to be a change now, we need to have this all sorted out before the season starts,” he told The Managers podcast, powered by BOYLE Sports. It’s not fair on the clubs, it’s not fair on the managers and it’s certainly not fair on the supporters. I know everybody loves the build up and everything else, but do it before the season starts.

The trouble it’s caused from Newcastle, to Brentford. The players are getting paid enormous amounts of money by the football clubs and they refuse to play, I just think it’s a disgrace. It’s just destabilises the group and the lad gets isolated and pushed to one side. I think we should wipe the slate clean and start again. If the season starts on a Saturday, the window should close on the Friday. Everybody knows where they’re going then, and there’s none of this nonsense going on.

It won’t change until the authorities change it, but having seen what happened this year, it’s been ridiculous. The Premier League is by far the best and most publicised league in the world. They have an opportunity now, after this being such a debacle, to actually change the rules. I hope they do.

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