Were West Brom right to extend Tony Pulis’ contract?

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We ask whether Tony Pulis deserved his new West Bromwich Albion contract.

West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis signed a one-year extension to his current contract on Thursday, tying him to the club until 2018.

The Welshman has divided opinion amongst Baggies fans for much of his time in charge, and we have assessed whether it was the right decision to reward the manager with fresh terms.

Stability

Chairman John Williams has cited “stability and assurance” as major factors in the decision to extend Pulis’ contract. The Welshman – who has never been relegated – is seen as a guarantor for Albion’s survival in the Premier League.

Before the 58-year-old arrived at the Hawthorns, West Brom appeared to be drifting towards the Championship with the botched appointments of Pepe Mel and Alan Irvine.

By tying down Pulis for another year, West Brom’s new owners have bought themselves some time to bed into the club, with the assurance that their experienced manager will keep them in the richest league in the world.

Style of football

Tony Pulis has a reputation for playing unattractive football. Results take priority, and this often means his sides are set up just to defend for large periods of the game, relying on set plays to trouble the opposition.

West Brom supporters have never been fully on board with the Welshman’s approach. They even chanted their displeasure at his brand of football during their 1-0 away defeat against Bournemouth earlier this season.

This disgruntled section of Baggies fans will be dreading sitting through another year of Pulis’ football.

Attendances

Some of those disgruntled fans may simply decide to stay away from the Hawthorns.

The average attendance has taken a hit since the former Stoke manager took over – reaching a Premier League low (22,062) for the visit of Swansea City last season. It has been a similar story this campaign, with just 22,209 turning up to see West Brom beat West Ham United.

With Albion’s local rivals falling out of the Premier League, many supporters are choosing to stay away from the Hawthorns and another year of Pulis may signal more empty seats.

Transfer kitty

With the new owners in place, West Brom may have more spending power than in the lean years of Jeremy Peace.

Pulis has been responsible for adding some real quality to Albion’s squad, bringing in the likes of Jonny Evans, Salomon Rondon and Nacer Chadli. At the same time, he has had his fair share of failures, including Callum McManaman, Rickie Lambert and James Chester.

The decision to retain Pulis will provide much needed stability to West Brom’s transfer strategy. Albion need to avoid another poorly-planned and executed transfer window.

Ambition

With his new deal signed, Pulis has stated that the club aim to break into the Premier League top 10.

Pulis has never managed a top-10 finish in his managerial career but did bring European football to Stoke City via the FA Cup.

Pulis’ brand of football is geared towards Premier League survival, and the Welshman will need to adapt his approach if he is serious about pushing Albion up the league.