Pulis: Best team won the cup

Stoke City boss Tony Pulis rued his team’s inability to produce their best in their 1-0 loss to Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

A 75th-minute strike from City midfielder Yaya Toure was enough to give the club their first piece of silverware in 35 years with the win at Wembley on Saturday.

Pulis, whose team came into the game on the back of a five-game unbeaten run, said his team never play to their best in the final.

“The six or seven weeks prior to the game, our performance levels have been excellent. It is disappointing today that we haven’t reached that level,” he said.

“Against the quality of depth they have got, you need to bring your A-game to the table.”

“Maybe we have run out of a bit of depth. Ricardo Fuller is injured, he is a game changer for us, Danny Higginbotham too.”

“I have nothing but congratulations for Man City. They were the better team, fully deserved to win and it is difficult for me to stand here and say that. I will go hide in some bunker for 48 hours.”

Pulis reflected on what has been a successful campaign for Stoke, one that has seen them win a place in next season’s Europa League and sit in the top half of the Premier League table,

But he insisted a spending spree was not the only way to win trophies.

“It has been a great season. To stay in the Premier League for a fourth consecutive year and to be in Europe, it is fantastic. We will be playing there for the first time in 40 years,” he said.

“We can’t afford to throw fortunes at it. We have to stay financially stable.”

“If we got relegated tomorrow, the club would be in a good position to keep all our players and for them to stay even for two or three years in the Championship.”

In a re-match of the cup final, Stoke will travel to Manchester City for a Premier League clash on Tuesday.