Middlesbrough boss Tony Pulis has questioned Derby County’s spending.
Derby County supporters have taken to Twitter to hit back at Championship rival Tony Pulis as the Middlesbrough boss claimed the Rams have spent a fortune in recent years.
“The playing staff has been reduced by about nine, and that’s got us into a position where we’re in line with all the Financial Fair Play regulations. We’ve done all of that, and still have a chance of getting into the play-offs. If you look at the other side; Derby have spent a fortune,” Pulis said, quoted by the Derby Telegraph as he also took aim at Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.
The Boro manager’s comments come just ahead of the final day of the season where Derby, Middlesbrough and Bristol City are fighting for that final play-off spot and a chance of promotion to the Premier League.
Pulis’s comments could be a way of trying to put pressure on the Rams to do the job as Frank Lampard’s side hold the advantage, yet Derby supporters feel the former Stoke City manager has spoken out of turn.
Middlesbrough owner Steve Gibson was reported by the Telegraph as originally singling out Derby, Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday as three clubs potentially falling foul of Financial Fair Play rules.
There is no doubt the Rams have spent in their bid to secure promotion. However, in recent years they have sold the likes of Matej Vydra, Jeff Hendrick, Tom Ince and Will Hughes to balance the books.
Boro were also guilty of spending big, and they used their top-flight parachute payments to sign Britt Assombalonga for a club record £15 million fee back in the summer of 2017.
Pulis can have few complaints. What he inherited at Boro was a team capable of fighting for promotion, and this season his side has fallen way short of expectations as they now need a favour to finish in the top six.
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