[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

No I wasn't happy with Irvine but what makes anyone think it'll be different with Pulis? Do people actually remember the series of bore fests against Stoke? And as for his time at Palace, yes there were some decent games but on a different site there are some interesting facts about his brief spell -worse possession and successful pass rate than before his arrival and a higher percentage of "long passes" than in his last year's at Stoke. He was also lucky to inherit a squad that enabled Palace to break with pace........So long hoof up to big Vic it is then.

Yep, this is the concern. I think the aggrandisement of his style of football at Palace is misplaced. He tailored his style to the players available to him - and fair play, many bosses wouldn't - but the basic philosophy in most games was still to set up for a 0-0 and nick a goal on the counter if you can. Exactly what Alan Irvine tried to do and got bashed from pillar to post for. At best, Pulis is just more successful at doing it.

Now, I know the goal for the rest of this season is survival, and if Pulis can give us that then fair enough. If he can do it without turning us into a rugby team, then better still. But we are handing this man a two and a half year contract. What's the vision for next season? Does anybody really think he fell out with the Palace chairman because he wanted to sign a load of attacking players and turn Palace into a new Barcelona? Or is it more likely that he had a shopping list of overpriced gargantuan freaks, and the chairman put his foot down and refused to let him take them down that well-trodden road?

I'll back Tony fully as long as he's here, I'll give him praise where it's due as well as balanced criticism, and I really hope he can achieve wonderful things in dazzling ways, but boy, two and a half years is a very long time to repent a mistake...

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It's been mentioned several times about the brand of football TP got Palace out of trouble with last year, but there are people who just won't take it in - they're so stuck with the 'Stoke Pulis' that they can't see, or admit, the fact that PALACE PLAYED LOVELY FOOTBALL UNDER HIM LAST YEAR!!!!

I particularly remember the "lovely football" they played against us in the FA Cup at our place. As cynical and ugly a performance as you could ever hope to see. And yes, you could argue that they beat us, so Pulis gets the plaudits for doing whatever it takes to win... but then, what happened in the next round? They tried to do exactly the same against Championship Wigan, and got turned over. There are shades of grey in this argument. Tony Pulis isn't necessarily the antichrist of football, but nor is he the messiah.

I completely accept that they were a fast, expansive team at times, but from my point of view, the people loudly insisting that Palace were a wonderful side to watch last year won't see or admit that in many matches, they were simply grinding out results however they came. And yes, in the short-term, we could probably do with a bit of that, but what about next year? And the year after?