Stoke boss Pulis: Winning is important, not the critics

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Tony Pulis insists that he has no time for critics as he attempts to guide Stoke City to success in the Premier League this season, declaring that he "couldn't give a s***" about what anybody in the world of football thinks of him.

Despite receiving criticism for the Potters' long-ball tactics from managers such as Arsene Wenger - whose Arsenal side travel to the Britannia Stadium on Sunday afternoon - the Welshman refuses to let it affect him.

"The biggest thing for me is do what you do and don’t get affected by what other people say," he told the Daily Mirror.

When asked what he makes of Arsenal fans' views of him, Pulis replied: "I couldn't give a s***.

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"As a nation and individuals, we worry so much about what other people think instead of just ­getting on with our lives and doing what we do.

"I don't know Arsene Wenger or what he thinks and it wouldn't worry me. It doesn't make any difference, whether it's Arsene Wenger or whoever."

While the duo may have differing ideologies, Pulis insists that he does not dislike the Frenchman. "I don't socialise where Arsene socialises. He's in London, I'm up in the north Midlands," he noted.

"I can't see our paths crossing and if they did, it would most probably be at a function where he would be sat with friends and I would be sat with friends.

"So it's difficult. But it's wrong to say I dislike him because I don't know the man."

Regardless of the build-up to the Sunday afternoon clash, Pulis insists that his primary task is to ensure his side claim the three points: "For 90 minutes today, I'll be doing my damnedest to make sure we win. That's my job.

"If you win against top clubs, then they are not too happy and that's the way it should be."

"I have a fantastic family and group of friends. They are the ones I care about.

"Football has always been my first love, but I enjoy other sports. The Olympics was fantastic and I love golf and tennis. So I enjoy all different things, but that's away from the limelight and I try to keep it that way."

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