CLARETAND HUGH talks to Palace boss Tony Pulis
about the big game!
Crystal Palace boss Tony Pulis believes he’s just taken on the toughest job of his managerial career.
And he admits that West Ham United at home in the present circumstances is a test that perhaps could have waited until later in his reign.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow evening’s game at Selhurst Park he said: “Sam Allardyce sides are always very tough to beat and they will be high on confidence after a very good win over Fulham.
“I couldn’t have taken on a much tougher job than this – in fact if I’m honest I have to say it’s the biggest challenge of my life.
“I spent a long time deciding because everything had to be right from every point of view but West Ham are arriving at a time ahead of me getting players in. Preferably, perhaps, we could have had them later on.
“West Ham represent a very tough test given the form they showed against Fulham on Saturday evening.
“With players like Ravel Morrison in the side we will need to be at the top of things – the boy has shown some amazing form this season
“As I say I need to get players into this club in January if we are going to have a real chance of getting out of this but I’ll have the squad as ready as it can be for the match on Tuesday evening.”
The Hammers boss has admitted his respect for Pulis declaring: “”I think Tony is a very experienced manager and will try to organise his team to be difficult to beat and to get a result if they can, which is what they tried to do at Norwich.
“We’ve got to be ready to match whatever they have got and to try and better it.
“That’s something we’ve got to try to handle and up until Norwich away, if we play like we know we can away from home, we should be there or thereabouts in terms of getting a result.
Again, it will rely on our finishing qualities as to whether we get anything out of the game or not.”