When Tony Pulis signed a one-year contract extension at West Bromwich Albion in October, he spoke of how he intended to move the club forward but warned against the scourge he has devoted his career to trying to eradicate: wishful thinking. “There’s a star in the sky and everyone is pointing at that star,” he tut-tutted. “They’re not looking at other things left, right and centre.”
Pulis is not a manager who spends time gazing at stars but that is not to say he eschews high aims. And look, West Bromwich are suddenly seventh in the Premier League, having been one place above the relegation zone a month ago. As things stand, Pulis is on course to achieve his target of a top-half finish, which, admirable as his record is, would be a first for him in a career spanning nearly three decades. The West Brom winger James McClean suggested this week that with a bit of luck, European qualification could be within reach.
Related: Tony Pulis ordered to pay Crystal Palace £3.77m after ‘deceiving tribunal’
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