Pulis wants Stoke to go one better

Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has targeted a win at home to Wigan Athletic on Sunday to seal a top 10 finish.

Pulis’ men finished a respectable 11th last season and he wants to go at least one better this term.

“We have had a fantastic season and we want to go out on a winning note to better last season’s points tally and finish in the top 10,” he said.

“We have a responsibility to the Premier League and to this football club to do our very best to win that final game.”

“As it is the last game of the season, we are keeping our fingers crossed that we can get Jermaine Pennant, Matthew Etherington and Kenwyne Jones back from injury.

“But I am not sure about Robert Huth. He has shown tremendous character to play through injury but whether he will be fit for Sunday is another matter.”

Stoke have just been beaten by Manchester City twice in a week – Tuesday’s 3-0 league defeat at Eastlands came shortly after Saturday’s 1-0 FA Cup final defeat.

Pulis is not too downbeat and pointed at the huge amounts of money lavished by Manchester City – who have spent nearly 500 million pounds on players since being taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group in September 2008.

“We did our best, but we were up against a very good side,” he said.

“They remind me of the Chelsea side four or five years ago under Mourinho because they have so much pace and power.”

“They will probably go out and spend another 400m pounds in the summer so they will be even more formidable next season.”

“I am sure they’ll be pushing Chelsea and Manchester United much harder for the major honours because they are definitely an emerging force.”

“It would have been difficult to lift the players after Saturday even if we had had a full strength team, so to do it with half a team missing made it even tougher for us.”

Stoke will definitely be without defender Danny Higginbotham (knee) and forwards Ricardo Fuller and Mamady Sidibe (both Achilles’ tendon).