Tony Pulis: Unfashionable, unaesthetic, underrated
Drop Tony Pulis back into his hometown of Newport in South Wales, among the early-morning dog walkers, school caretakers, and the man who covers the bar at the local rugby club, and the West Brom gaffer would slot right in.
In an industry where greater managerial achievement seems to be accompanied with an increasingly expensive overcoat or a higher opinion of oneself, Pulis, donned in his trademark baseball cap and tracksuit, and with his grounded personality, is refreshingly different. And inexcusably underrated.
The proud Welshman had a modest playing career in the lower divisions of English football, collecting 313 appearances in the defences of Bristol Rovers, Newport County, Bournemouth, Gillingham, and even in Hong Kong with Happy Valley. This is nothing new with the finest managers in the Premier League, though, with Jose Mourinho's younger days particularly unexceptional.
(Courtesy: South Wales Argus)
When Harry Redknapp opted to take over West Ham in 1992 following a successful nine years in charge at Dean Court, the player/coach Pulis hung up his boots and was entrusted with running Bournemouth, which had just been promoted into the third tier.
Like his days patrolling the backline for four different clubs, Pulis' impact at the Cherries was underwhelming, but he did enough. They had two seasons of consolidation under his tutelage, with consecutive 17th-place finishes.
The next stint for Pulis was at Gillingham, a lowly side from Kent that had finished the previous fourth-tier campaign in 19th - staring non-league football in the face. Miraculously, he took them up via automatic promotion in his first season, conceding just 20 goals over a 46-game term.
Gradual improvement continued over the next two years until Pulis began his next serious assault on promotion to the second tier in 1998-99. Unfortunately, he inadvertently played an integral role in the reversal of Manchester City's fortunes. Up 2-0 in the playoff final on 90 minutes, City, suffering the worst era in its history, staged a dramatic comeback via stoppage time goals from Kevin Horlock and Paul Dickov, eventually downing the Gills via penalties.
Pulis was controversially sacked after the heartbreaking defeat, and the parting was made more bitter with accusations of gross misconduct and a court case revolving around unpaid bonuses.
Short stints at Bristol City and Portsmouth followed. The former failed, as those packed at Ashton Gate struggled to come to terms with his past at city rival Rovers. At his spell on the south coast he pulled Portsmouth out of the relegation zone and into mid-table, but was ousted prematurely from his role with more calls for misconduct from controversial Pompey owner Milan Mandaric.
You could have forgiven Pulis for being left with a sour taste after his beginnings in management, but he has since only served to enhance his reputation in the game. His spells at Stoke City, Plymouth Argyle, Crystal Palace, and now West Brom have all proved successful.
He led Stoke to its first appearance in the top flight in 23 years, with many goals coming through the looping throw-ins of Rory Delap and the sizeable frame of Ricardo Fuller. It was ugly and physical football for the most part, but it worked. It produced numerous scalps during his second stint at the club, including leaving Arsenal's Arsene Wenger - perhaps the greatest antithesis to Pulis' style in the English game - spitting feathers on numerous occasions.
He then guided Crystal Palace to safety, before taking the reins at West Brom.
The Hawthorns has probably been the biggest test to his man management, as he juggles decorated and experienced players (Darren Fletcher and Jonny Evans) with footballers who have earned a reputation for being troublesome (James McClean and Saido Berahino). So far, so good.
"It does not surprise me what he's doing at West Brom," Nigel Quashie, who played under Pulis for a brief time at Portsmouth, told the Birmingham Mail's Paul Suart recently.
"Without Tony Pulis I would not have been able to play professional football for as long as I did - he saved my career."
So could he cut it at a higher level? Maybe Pulis wouldn't want that.
He isn't one you'd associate with glittering Premier League television contracts and splurging £35 million on a South American star. Instead, he is unapologetically a man of muddy pitches and 10 men behind the ball, when necessary. He's a party pooper, and someone who can wring the very best out of average players. It won't necessarily be pretty, but Pulis will work a team to its strengths and achieve results.
He will step into the shadows on Sunday as his side takes on Liverpool and its colourful manager, Jurgen Klopp. But that's who the Welshman is happy to be - the most underrated gaffer in the Premier League.
