Tony Pulis Exclusive

Exclusive interview with Tony Pulis: Hollywood won’t help Wrexham in the Championship, Leeds United will have to be brave to avoid relegation, Birmingham City signings will raise expectations, Jamie Vardy would be joining a huge rivalry at Rangers, Frank Lampard is aware of the expectations at Coventry City

Speaking exclusively with Fruity King, iconic former Premier League manager Tony Pulis told Wrexham that their Hollywood links won’t help them in Championship football.

The former Stoke City boss has also told Leeds United that they will have to be brave to avoid relegation and explained why expectations are rising at Birmingham City.

Pulis has also given his thoughts on Jamie Vardy’s potential move to Rangers and explained how Frank Lampard will know what he needs to do at Coventry City next season.

Q: What have you made of the complete turnaround at Birmingham City?

TP- “When Birmingham got relegated a couple of years back, it was all doom and gloom, now there’s a complete and utter change in the direction, both on and off the pitch. 

“When you look at the club now, there’s so much positivity that has been gained from getting promotion last year and they did it in a good manner. 

“They’ve done it in a way that has really, really excited the supporters there. When you listen to how the fans talk about the club, the owners and the infrastructure – it all really bodes well for an exciting future.”

Q: Can Birmingham City really build the Wembley of the Midlands?

TP- “There is talk about Birmingham spending about £3bn on the new development, so if you’re spending that much money on the development of the infrastructure of the football club, they will want to have a Premier League club to balance that off without a question of a doubt.

“I know Craig really well, Craig Gardner, I think he’s done a fantastic job there. His responsibility now is to try and get the best players he possibly can for the coach to be successful on the pitch again. 

“There’s such a buzz around Birmingham. It’ll be great to see how they perform, what players they bring in and how it all develops. Very, very exciting times for Birmingham City.”

Q: Is signing Demarai Gray a statement of intent for Birmingham City?

TP- “Demarai Gray is a good player and obviously has got experience of playing in England as well. 

“I think it’s an exciting signing. Over the next couple of weeks, the club are going to make signings that will excite the supporters and bring the expectations up again. 

“That’s maybe the problem they might have, that the expectations of the supporters will be that they’re just going to run through that league. That isn’t going to be the case. 

“But by bringing the right players in, they’ll be competitive and what they want to be is competitive in respect of being a top six side.”

Q: Is there a lot of pressure on Jay Stansfield at Birmingham City?

TP- “I think you’ve got to give Jay Stansfield great credit. He has worked tremendously hard in all the games I’ve watched. He has worked tremendously hard. 

“He actually gave up a lot of his strengths to help the team. One criticism was that, when they were in the final third, Jay didn’t find himself in between the goalposts as much as he could have because of the work he was doing outside the box.

“I’m absolutely convinced that at Birmingham this coming season, they encourage him to get between the goalposts because when he does that, he is a goalscorer. His record shows that. 

“Could they play him off the right or off the left as another striker? We will see.

“For England, I think his attitude was absolutely fantastic in the tournament. I know people have questioned the lack of goals, I just think it was because of the work he was asked to do off the ball – a lot of the times he sacrificed his own instincts for the team’s sake.”

Q: Where would you like to see Jamie Vardy next season?

TP- “Jamie Vardy will not be short of offers. You don’t know whether he’s waiting for another Premier League club to come in for him, but he’s been a fantastic player. 

“Taking Leicester to the Premier League title, winning the FA Cup, he is a fit lad and doesn’t look to have put any weight on. I’m sure he will have something on his mind. 

“He’ll have a preference and he might be waiting to see what offers he gets, but he will have options all over the world.”

Q: How would Jamie Vardy do at Rangers?

TP- “If Jamie Vardy went to Rangers he would be joining a huge rivalry, they have new owners and will want to invest into the team to make things more competitive.

“Russell Martin is at a massive, massive football club and that comes with expectations. If he does bring big names in, that will go through the roof.

“Brendan Rodgers has done an unbelievable job at Celtic and Russell will be under enormous pressure to get closer to them next year.”

Q: Could Brendan Rodgers be tempted by a Premier League return?

TP- “I’m not so sure where Brendan Rodgers is at in his career at the moment. It’s a fabulous club, Celtic, without a doubt and that’s all around the world, not just in Scotland. 

“It’s about the stage he feels his career is at and whether he feels he’s done enough there again to go out and get a new challenge. It’s a difficult, difficult choice for him because the club he’s at now is a fantastic football club.”

Q: Do Leeds United have to splash the cash to survive in the Premier League?

TP- “I listen to pundits all the time saying that you need to spend billions to stay up and I disagree, you don’t have to spend billions if you’re smart.

“Look at Brighton and Brentford, they have invested but not with enormous amounts of money, they knew what it would take to stay in the Premier League.

“That first year obviously is difficult, but you can do it. You don’t have to be so extravagant that you put the club at risk financially. I think there’s definitely a system that you can put in place that can get you the results that you need, but you have to be smart.

“You don’t have to be Man City. You don’t have to be Liverpool. You don’t have to like the top clubs and play like the top clubs to do it. You can do it in another way and you can be smart doing it. 

“If you’re clever enough, smart enough, then I don’t see why a club like Leeds United can’t repeat that. It’s a fantastic football club.

“It’s a one city club. The support there is just amazing. Every time a team turns up at Elland Road you know it’s going to be a ferocious atmosphere. 

“Daniel Farke has got to work off that and I still think that playing in a way that suits them and not suits the perception of how you should play football can cause teams problems.

“But again, you’ve got to be brave enough to do it.”

Q: Would Josh Sargent be a good addition for Leeds United?

TP- “I’ve always liked Josh Sargent. He’s a very, very hard working lad. He can play wide, he can play upfront. He scores goals, creates goals. He’s done fantastically for Norwich. 

“I don’t think Norwich will be too happy about him moving on because they’ll want him to stay next year to help them get promotion. But he is one player out of the Championship you look at that stands out – he would certainly suit me as a manager because of his attitude and his determination – I think it’s relentless .

“He gives every effort to help his football club in every game they play.”

Q: Would Rodrigo Muniz be taking a risk in joining Leeds from Fulham?

TP- “Sometimes you get caught in the middle of two clubs and sometimes you think the grass is greener when a lot of the time it isn’t.

“There are certain things that determine a move for a player and if he feels that he can go to Leeds United and be successful there and score the goals that they need to stay in the Premier League, then fine. 

“Or does he feel as though he can stay at Fulham and score enough goals to stay in the team week in and week out and push them on as they have over the last few years.

“It’s the chicken and egg situation and sometimes you’re caught in the middle.”

Q: What should Leeds do about their goalkeeping situation?

TP- “You can be an outfield player and make two or three mistakes every game and not get punished for it and people forget it. With a goalkeeper, if you’re making a mistake and you get punished for it, then it sticks in supporters’ minds.

“Illan Meslier has been unfortunate in that respect. Whether they make a change or not, Daniel Farke is an experienced manager. He will know whether he’s right for the Premier League or not.

“When you’re building a team to stay in the Premier League, you’ve got to be rock solid down the middle of the pitch. The goalkeeper, the two centre-halves, two midfield players and the centre forward.

“That backbone has to be absolutely spot on for a team that’s coming up if they want to stay in the Premier League.”

Q: Is the signing of Habib Diarra the right move for Sunderland?

TP- “I’ve been told that Sunderland might go and keep spending and I think all three promoted teams need to do that.

“But, what is important is that the manager has the system that he wants to play and the players coming in have to be better than the players that he had last year – but they have to suit the system because that is how you get results.

“It won’t be the individual players, it will be if the team is solid enough to keep some clean sheets and be solid enough then to go forward, create chances and score goals. 

“It’ll be interesting to see how that pans out over the next month or so before the season starts.”

Q: Do Sunderland need to keep hold of Chris Rigg this summer?

TP- “I’d be very surprised if Chris Rigg does move on. Sunderland’s a massive football club and the support they’ll get in the Premier League next year will be absolutely fantastic. 

“The atmosphere at that ground, very similar to Leeds, will be red hot. So he’s got an opportunity and a chance to feel that, to experience it and hopefully it will make him a better player.”

Q: Is there a situation in which all three promoted sides could stay up?

TP- “If you’re smart enough and invest in the right players, you don’t have to spend hundreds of millions to stay up in the Premier League.

“Whether they’re Premier League players who can’t break into the first team or whether they’re players that you can take out of the Championship that you know will step up, you’ve got to be really smart with it. 

“It amazes me when teams just throw money at players individually but collectively they are a mess, that makes no sense whatsoever to me. 

“If you haven’t got the right characters, if you haven’t got the right structure, if you haven’t got everybody pointing in the right direction, you are not going to be successful. 

“You talk about Liverpool, you talk about Man City, you’ve won the league year after year. All their players have got tremendous attitudes off the ball as well as on the ball. 

“They’re good footballers, they’re better footballers than most of the players around them and that quality is there. But those players work hard as well. Those players gel together, work together and perform together as a team.“

Q: Is there now pressure on Frank Lampard at Coventry City?

TP- “Fans will expect, full stop. Frank Lampard had a great run taking over and taking them into the playoffs, but he will know that it counts for nothing when the new season starts.

“He has been in football all his life as his dad has, he will know that as soon as the season starts again that all goes out of the window.

“Frank will be aware of the expectations. He’ll be aware of what’s necessary and needed and it looks as though they are giving him the opportunity to bring one or two in – he’ll be desperate to do well.”

Q: Is Kaine Kesler-Hayden an impressive signing for Coventry City?

TP- “Kaine Kesler-Hayden was the player of the year at Preston, a strong running full-back who came out of the Aston Villa academy which produces very good players.

“He’s young, he’s very, very athletic and it could be a good investment. If you’re spending that much money on a young kid who’s just had one year’s experience, Frank Lampard must be confident in him. It looks like a really good signing.”

Q: Will Milan van Ewijk be a big miss for Coventry City?

TP- “For a manager, the majority of the time you will know which players are going to stay and which players are going to leave going into the summer and that will be the case for Milan van Ewijk.

“You know who is happy and who is unhappy, you can then prepare for the new season. The close season is the most important part of the season because if you get it wrong, your job is at risk and you could struggle. 

“It’s about preparation, organisation and time and effort that makes a difference.”

Q: How will Robbie Savage get on as Forest Green Rovers manager?

TP- “Robbie doesn’t lack any confidence, so I don’t think he will need any advice from myself or anybody else really. He’s full of life, he’s bubbly, he’s a character.

“I’ve spoken to people who played with him and they just said his enthusiasm, his effort and his commitment every week was what got him through.

“He’s got that steely determination and fingers crossed he does well. He did fantastic at Macclesfield, now it’s a new challenge for him. 

“Fans will be thinking that he came in to get them promoted which brings pressure but he will understand that, it’s one to watch.”

Q: Did Michael Carrick get enough time to succeed at Middlesbrough?

TP- “Steve Gibson gave Michael Carrick a really good run at it and I think Michael will understand the situation.

“Boro are a big club and Steve’s a top, top chairman and wants Premier League football. He backed Michael and it’s disappointing but he will learn from it.

“It’s probably the first knockback he’s had so it’ll be interesting how he rebounds. He was a fabulous player and he’s now got his first taste of getting the sack as a manager. 

“I can remember being sacked for the first time and the great Jim Smith, who was an unbelievable character, rang me to say that you’re not a manager until you’ve been sacked three times – then he hung up.

“He was just putting me in my place. Telling me not to get too despondent. To get back on the horse and to get back on again.

“That’s the same for Michael, he needs to take it on the chin and get up again in order to push forward.”

Q: What does Rob Edwards need to do at Middlesbrough?

TP- “It’s a fantastic club with all the facilities you need. The people there are wonderful. In the 18 months I had up there, I thought the people were fantastic. 

“I’ve still got great affection for the staff at the football club, the chairman. I met some really lovely people up there.

“The North East is a very, very tight community, the people are straightforward, honest. They can be a bit forceful at times, but I’d rather have that than the other way round. 

“I’m sure Rob Edwards will enjoy the football club. Steve will back him and it’s his chance now. It’s his opportunity and his chance to succeed.”

Q: Should Leicester City go for Sean Dyche or Danny Rohl?

TP- “Danny Rohl has done fantastically at a club that is very different to manage and the record of Sean Dyche speaks for itself, he’s been a fantastic manager over a long period of time. I don’t think he’s got the credit at times he deserves, but that happens to quite a few managers out there. 

“Given the job, you’d expect Dyche to be successful because of his record, because of his experience and because of his knowledge. 

“Danny’s a little bit different, he has done a great job at Sheffield Wednesday. Is he the next up and coming manager that they would rather invest in?

“Two successful managers, one starting off or just starting off his career and the other one who’s been at the top of the pile for quite a while. It will be interesting.”

Q: Do Stoke have the stability they need to climb the table?

TP- “I think Stoke have stability now with Jon Walters going in there, he has already built up that relationship with Mark Robins, now you just hope that they get the football side of it right.

“John Coates is in charge now and that family has been absolutely unbelievable in respect to Stoke-on-Trent, John is running the club now and if those three can get their heads together then fingers crossed they can get the balance right.

“If they can finish in the top 10 or top six, it would be absolutely unbelievable for them. That would be the start of the recovery that the football club needs.”

Q: What do you make of the position of Sheffield Wednesday?

TP- “Sheffield Wednesday are a massive club. I spent a short period of time there and it certainly didn’t work out for me, but I think that was more my fault. 

“You want it to be successful because the city is a massive footballing city. When you’ve got Sheffield United on the other side of the town, you need Sheffield Wednesday to be successful.

“The supporters there have been through a very, very difficult period over a long enough time. So they need some enthusiasm and an uplift really to get them going again. 

“I just don’t know what’s going to happen there. It’s very difficult to speak from outside in respect of what direction a football club is going to take in the next couple of months. 

“The best thing that can happen is that everybody starts pulling together and the alignment from the boardroom right through to the coach or the manager, to the players, to the supporters is fixed in one direction. 

“At the moment you’ve got different factions that are not happy. You’ve got to accept that they’re just not happy there. The most important thing is to try and bring everybody together, whichever way you can do it, whichever way you can manage it. 

“That is really, really important because as I’ve said, it is a fantastic football club. It’s a fantastic city. And there’d be nothing better than those two clubs to be really chipping away at one another in a successful way.”

Q: Are Sheffield Wednesday a great option for new investors?

TP- “There are so many clubs in the Championship, huge clubs, that look like a good pick for investment.

“The important thing is aligning all the groups together and getting into the Premier League and staying there.

“Look at Eddie Howe and Newcastle, he has a system of play that is counter-attacking and they defend with togetherness. He has brought a great spirit to the club but extended from that – the city.

“What Eddie’s doing, what the directors are doing, what the players are doing – you’ve got this alignment and it’s very difficult to achieve, but it can be achieved and once you do it, there’s no stopping you. 

“Eddie’s got not just the team onside, he’s got the whole city onside. So they’re 100% behind their football club and that’s what the communities and clubs in different towns or cities up and down England, that’s what they want.”

Q: What does the future look like for Derby County?

TP- “John Eustace took an enormous risk last year when he left Blackburn in a playoff position to go to a club that looked absolutely certain to get relegated. 

“John was one of the managers of the year last year without question. I’m not sure he’s had the credit again that he deserves. He’s gone in there and turned it around and got them safe. 

“The big thing there now is can they push on? I think he’s got the crowd behind him, he’s got the city behind him. So that’s fine. They’re happy with John. Now it’s about if he can get that team firing together.

“If he can then they could have a really, really good season next year, because it’s a big football club. Even when John went in, they were averaging between 25,000 and 30,000 every week in the Championship.

“For a team in the bottom three that is remarkable, it’s a fabulous football club.”

Q: What do you make of another change in management for Hull City?

TP- “It will be interesting to see how Hull get on. It’s another risk that the owner has taken. 

“It’s his money that he has put into the football club and it’s a risk he thinks is the right risk for him and the football club. For everybody in Hull, let’s hope it’s the right decision.”

Q: Is Tom Cleverley to Plymouth an exciting appointment?

TP- “Tom Cleverley has experienced getting sacked for the first time but he’s got the opportunity to get hold of a good club. 

“I managed at Plymouth for about six months and it’s a fantastic place, there’s no one else there. So it’s all about the football club. 

“The supporters there are 100% behind their club. They know how important it is for the club to be successful. It’s the main hub of everything that happens around Plymouth. 

“He’ll be genuinely surprised about how passionate the supporters are. They’ve got a decent team and I think he will hope that he can bring one or two in. 

“If he does, then without doubt, they’ll have a successful season. I think the big thing with Plymouth is that their home form is always very, very good. 

“It’s the travel and the distances they have to make every other week and they struggle away from home. But if Tom can work that out and get that sorted out, I see them having a successful season.”

Q: How big of an opportunity does Lee Grant have at Huddersfield?

TP- “It’s only a few years ago that Huddersfield were in the Premier League so there has been a drop there. 

“They’ve got American owners now and it’s about if they can get everybody in the right place at the right time to be successful then they can improve quickly.

“They showed signs during last season that they were going to be good enough to get into the playoffs. Unfortunately, they dropped out. But if he can get off to a good start, he’ll certainly get the support that’s necessary to push on.”

Q: Is Brian Barry-Murphy a risky appointment for Cardiff City?

TP- “There’s a lot of coaches coming out of academy football and being given the opportunity to manage football clubs – there’s a massive difference and he’ll certainly find that out.

“Cardiff is the capital city of a country and they could fill in the ground week in and week out in the Premier League, the support would be absolutely phenomenal.

“Hopefully they can get the ball rolling and get promoted back into the Championship, a bit like Birmingham, once you get the ball rolling there is positivity around the place and the negativity washes away quickly.

“If they get back into the Championship, that momentum could push them forward again.”

Q: Could Swansea City push for promotion to the Premier League?

TP- “Swansea have got everything in place to be a Premier League club. Everything in place. In the Premier League, they’d fill the ground up every week, their support would be absolutely fantastic. 

“It’s just getting there that’s the problem, it’s an interesting time and they’ll be looking to have a really good season.”

Q: Could Conor Coady thrive with a move to Rangers?

TP- “There are one or two teams that have improved immensely behind Celtic and Rangers which has made things more competitive, I’m sure Conor Coady will have lots of options.

“If he ends up at Rangers then he will see that it’s a fantastic club with fantastic support, then it’ll be about trying to play a part in the competition with Celtic which we know is not easy.” 

Q: Could Kyogo Furuhashi swap winning trophies with Celtic for Birmingham?

TP- “There’s no doubt that in Scotland, it’s not as competitive throughout the league as it is in the Premier League or the Championship. 

“There have been times when you’d fall off your chair if you saw Rangers or Celtic losing, so there is definitely a split in quality.

“Having said that, I still think working for those two clubs, Rangers and Celtic, brings a different pressure. I think they are and they expect to win week in, week out. 

“If they don’t then it brings pressure and noise both on and off the pitch. So both have their own challenges.”

Q: Has Dominic Calvert-Lewin taken a risk by choosing to leave Everton?

TP- “Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a really good free transfer, His goal-scoring record is pretty good, he has just had injuries which has changed people’s view of him.

“If he’s fit and firing and enjoying his football then he is a handful in the Premier League and I’m absolutely convinced that there are clubs interested in him.

“The agents that are working for him would have had that all sorted out before he made that decision to leave Everton. 

“That decision most probably was made well before the season finished, it happens. People don’t like to say it, but it happens. I think most supporters are aware of that.”

Q: Can Wrexham get promoted to the Premier League at the first attempt?

TP- “Phil Parkinson is one of my top three managers from last season, irrespective of the backing he’s had has been a fantastic achievement. 

“Next year will be a real test for him, a real challenge. You’re playing against clubs week in, week out that will test them in different ways. 

“There are teams that were two leagues above them last season and it’s really competitive, it’s a massive challenge and they need to make sure they are set-up well not just in possession but out of possession because teams will counter-attack better.

“The higher you get, it’s not just all about possession. It’s about being very, very strong out of possession and behind your own attacks. You’ve got to really set your team up well and be solid. 

“I’m sure Phil understands that. I’m sure he’ll be looking forward to it. They’ll get full houses every week and they’ll go to fantastic stadiums and he deserves the opportunity and a chance to see if he can get that promotion again. If he does, then blimey what an achievement that would be.”

Q: Do Wrexham need to park the TV filming to focus on the Championship?

TP- “The Hollywood connection will not help at all on the pitch next year, so you can wash that away. 

“Phil Parkinson needs good players and he needs players who will suit his system. He needs players who are going to come in and play the way that Phil wants his teams to play. 

“If he can get better quality than what he’s got now, players with a little bit more quality but doing the same job that has maintained the success they’ve had over the past three years – then I’m sure he’ll do his damnedest and hopefully they’ll back him. 

“They have backed him over the past few years and they’ll certainly need to back him this year as well.”

Q: What does Louie Barry need to do for his career?

TP- “Louie Barry needs games. You need to be competitive and play in professional football and at the highest level you can, irrespective of age. 

“You’ve got to gain that experience and you’ve got to show you can cope with it and hopefully that you’re even better than that. 

“Academy football takes you so far. The sooner you can get out and play competitive men’s football, the better it is for you. 

“There’s no question for all what academy football is, what people perceive it to be, when you’re playing for a manager who needs the results, when you’re playing in front of supporters, whether it’s a thousand or twenty thousand, those supporters want to see your team win and you’re part of that team, if you’re not doing well, they will let you know and it’s a different experience for these kids.

“He has been at a few clubs but Hull City is a great opportunity. He’s got to take it with both hands.”

Q: Is going from set-piece coach to Premier League boss too big a step for Keith Andrews?

TP- “It’s very difficult to question Brentford Football Club for what they’ve done over these years. They have been absolutely fantastic. I was very fortunate to go in there last year for a day with Thomas Frank and the rest of the coaching staff. 

“It’s a very, very good environment. There’s a lot of good players there. They work tremendously hard. They’ve got a training ground that is a working training ground. It’s not all singing and dancing. It’s a proper, proper football club. 

“I think the chairman deserves, and Thomas as well, and everybody there connected to it, deserve a lot of credit for what they’ve built. 

“The stadium’s absolutely fantastic as well. It’s not the biggest in the world, but it’s a great atmosphere. 

“He’s a young manager, the fact that he’s done a lot of time away from playing as well in different positions in respect of coaching with Ireland, I think he’s earned his spurs and I think he’s got a great opportunity to go in there.

“It’ll be difficult. It always is. He will need to be open to criticism, open to everything. I’m pleased they’ve gone for a fresh manager. 

“I’m pleased that he’s been given the opportunity and the chance. Brentford, Brighton, Bournemouth, what they’ve achieved is just absolutely fantastic over the past decade.”