If, as people like Harry Redknapp would have you believe, being an English manager is hard then perhaps being a Welsh manager is even harder. Not that you'd hear Tony Pulis complaining about a lack of credit.
In a managerial career which stretches back to 1992 Pulis hasn't exactly had a glamorous time of it. Stints at Bournemouth, Gillingham, Bristol City, Portsmouth, Stoke and Plymouth Argyle were the apprenticeship that Pulis served before returning to the Potters and somehow leading them into the Premier League.
What Pulis did next defied all expectations. Far from taking the side straight back down again, he instead galvanised them and slowly but surely turned them into an established Premier League side.
Of course, football fans are a fickle bunch and they're not too fond of sides turning up and upsetting the balance of things, and this may be part of the reason why Stoke's success hasn't received quite as much praise as it should and those looking to place FA Cup bets should bear this in mind.
It's true to say that Pulis didn't exactly employ the most attractive style of play when the Potters first arrived in the top flight, but then he was forced to work with the squad he had.
However, after making them safe he has realised that it's important to add a significant element of flair to the team. Obviously Stoke are never going to land Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, but by bringing in Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant, and getting the best out of them, Pulis has proved he has the nous and know-how to move Stoke on to the next level.
Yet bafflingly, he fails to get the credit that is heaped on other managers doing an adequate job with much more money to spend. Maybe if Stoke can land the FA Cup Pulis will finally get some of the credit he so richly deserves.
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