Stoke City 2 Swansea City 0: Selection methods of Pulis fully vindicated

Pulis was furious with the reaction to his decision to leave nine first-team players at home for the midweek trip to Valencia, where a 1-0 defeat sent them tumbling out of the Europa League.

All those players were back in a starting line-up that showed 11 changes from the Mestalla, and first-half headers from Matthew Upson and Peter Crouch earned all three points.

Pulis praised the players who did play in Valencia, arguing it was the performance in the home leg, when they lost 1-0 despite fielding a much more familiar team, that was not up to scratch.

“If there’s a criticism levelled at me, then it should be for the first team I picked against Valencia, because we didn’t play well that night,” said the Potters manager.

“But the team that went to Valencia did smashing and created more chances and gave them a better game.

“We went there to have a go, but whichever way you do it you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t, and that’s football.

“I’m big enough to take it. My chairman was really pleased with the teams I picked in both games and he’s the one I answer to.”

One thing Pulis did not argue with was the importance of putting an end to their poor run against Swansea.

The result lifted them back above their opponents and into 12th place, and Pulis said: “It’s very important we get the points on the board as quick as we can.

“I don’t care what anybody says, as soon as you start to think that you’ve got a right to be in this league, that’s the time you’ve got to pack in and get out.”