Pulis discounts losing streak

Stoke City manager Tony Pulis is unconcerned about the recent losing streak.

Pulis said even a defeat by Blackburn Rovers on Saturday would not be “the end of the world”.

The Potters have lost their last four Premier League matches, including their last three at the Britannia Stadium, but Pulis has reminded fans that the club has been through tough periods before and survived.

“There have been occasions in the Premier League where we have had bad patches and bad runs,” he said.

“It has happened before, and I think the biggest thing in management is just making sure you approach things in the same manner.”

“I’m no different to what I was when we got to Wembley last year.”

“You look at what we have done this year – we have played eight games in Europe and we are unbeaten.”

“If we had won on Saturday (they lost 3-2 at home to QPR) we would have been in the top 10 of the Premier League.”

“You have to make sure you stay level-headed and get on with it. It’s strange really – people keep saying this is a big game, or that is a big game.”

“They are all big games, and if we win, brilliant. If we lose, it’s still not the end of the world – and people try to make out that it is the end of the world.”

However, the 53-year-old said his side needed to tighten up in defence if they were to improve, having conceded 14 goals in their last four league games.

“We need to sort things out – we need to get some clean sheets,” he said.

“We need to work together as a team – it’s not just the back four, it’s everybody together.”

“I think in the games that we’ve played at home, we’ve looked as if we are potent enough to score goals, but when you score two goals at home (as against QPR), you expect to win a game of football, not lose it.”