Peter Coates promises funds for Pulis

Well, it's a huge relief because it's so important to us. We don't want just to be a one-season wonder. We'd like to use this current season to set a platform for next year, when we will try to improve and get better.

Well, I think, you know, start at the manager because he's the guy who's in the front line and he's done a fantastic job. And I'm sure he'd be the first to say how important people around him have been to him. And then there's everyone else at the club, you know, Tony Scholes and all the staff, they're all important. Been a big team effort, you know. And of course we've had great support from our supporters because we played at Hull on Saturday and their ground is much quieter than our ground. And I thought they would be throwing the kitchen sink at us and in fact, touch of wood, we won and we got the three points we needed. But now we've had support everywhere, and our own supporters have been really, really good and we couldn't have asked for more.

Well, we all believe it's helped a great deal. And I know the manager is absolutely very keen to tell the supporters how important it is, because he believes it, he thinks it does make a difference, and I'm sure he's right. You know, it is great to have that support behind you and it just gives those players that extra buzz. They've got all these supporters behind them, so it has been significant.

Well, I can't say at this moment, so we're certainly going to say a big thank you to them, and I'm sure they've had a great season. You'd have to wait and see.

Well, I think he deserves to be. I've put my three candidates forward. That's Tony, that's obviously got to include Alex Ferguson, having done what he's done yet again, it's still no less remarkable. And of course their manager has done remarkably well. You know, you've got to give their manager credit for what he's done, he's had a great season. So yes, I think they're the three candidates, they'd be my three candidates. And of course I'd vote for Tony, wouldn't I.

I'm sure he's going to stay with what he believes will work well for the football club. And I don't think we get enough credit for the football we play, as we tend to be associated with Rory Delap's throw, which is a very useful tool. But he himself is a fine player and he doesn't get enough credit for what a good player he is. And there's much more to us than a long throw or a dead ball kick. Those are important, of course, we shouldn't lose sight of that. I think something like 40% of all goals, not just Stoke City's goals, come from set pieces, so it's a very important part of football. And if you're good at it, it's a bonus. So we think we're pretty good at it, but our own play is very good. I mean, look at the two goals we scored on Saturday, excellent goals. And Ricardo Fuller, the skill and control he showed by setting up the goal for Glenn Lawrence, what a fantastic strike that was. I mean, if that had been Torres and Gerrard, we'd have had it for about a fortnight.

Well, we want to do better. Obviously always trying to improve. And we're putting a lot of resource into our academy and training ground, so that's a big job. We've got planning consent, hopefully will be granted this week, that's what we're keeping our fingers crossed, no snags there. And then we'll be trying to improve the squad, which is the name of the game.

Well, some people think it will be. I'm not so sure about that. I'm not saying it will be easy, because clearly it's never going to be easy, any season. So it won't be easy, but I'm not so pessimistic about this second-year factor that they're talking about. And I hope I'm right. Of course, I'm thinking we're more experienced, we know more than we did at the start of the season, and there's a reasonable chance of having a better season. That's what we'll be aiming to do.

We've talked about it and we will be improving the squad, yes.

We want to improve the depth of the squad, and we will be looking to bring in, you know, one or two good players. You're always trying to improve. And we've got a good squad, we've got a great team ethic and work ethic. We want to keep that going. We don't want to alter the way we play necessarily, nor we certainly don't want to change our approach and attitude, which has been first class. So we want players who are going to fit into that. That's very important. Complementary players are one of the keys to football clubs, you know, you want players who fit in, but equally we want good players, and that's what we'll be trying to do.

He has, but I can't tell you. We don't want to let everybody know what we're looking for.

Oh, I think they will. I mean, it's a great division to play in, it's a great league to play in. It's regarded as the best in the world. We've got some of the best club teams in the world, there's no question about that. You only have to see how unlucky Chelsea were last week against Barcelona. We could have had an all-English final again. So we're playing some of the best club teams in the world, so that's great for our supporters to have that opportunity and for us to be involved. And you know, sometimes we beat them. We managed to beat Arsenal, we drew twice with Liverpool, so that wasn't bad. And I thought we were rather unlucky not to get a point against Manchester United. I suppose Chelsea, we were winning until the 88th minute at Stamford Bridge, so that was fantastic. Then we lost 2-1, which really was a huge disappointment. So we were just a whisker away from getting a result there. So it's not bad.

Well, that's where we sit. If we could get six points, we really would be dreaming. Yes, that would be the perfect end of the season.

Oh, I'm just relieved. I'm just thank God we've got there. And yeah, I'm really pleased we got there, pleased for everybody because it's very important. And it's a great relief, and of course you feel responsible for it. So yeah, we're very, very pleased.

Oh well, you'll see them soon enough, and perhaps they'll give us a better chance than they did last year.