Source: Team_Talk
TP keen to avoid Euro hangover
Stoke boss Tony Pulis does not want to see a successful week end on a sour note again when his team face Swansea on Sunday.[LNB] The Potters go into the Premier League clash at the Liberty Stadium off the back of two impressive results over the past few days, a 2-1 come-from-behind victory against Turkish side Besiktas in the Europa League on Thursday and last weekend's 1-1 draw with Manchester United, both at home.[LNB]A fortnight earlier, the Staffordshire outfit had overcome Liverpool 1-0 at the Britannia Stadium and then held Dynamo Kiev to a 1-1 draw in Ukraine in their Europa League Group E opener, only to be hammered 4-0 at Sunderland on the Sunday.[LNB]It was their first - and to this point sole - defeat of the campaign, and Pulis is keen to avoid a repeat against the Swans.[LNB]"The big challenge is raising your game for matches in a week, which is what we need to do at Swansea after the excellent results against Manchester United and Besiktas," Pulis told the club's official website.[LNB]"We had a similar sequence in the lead-up to Sunderland when we beat Liverpool and then drew out in the Ukraine against Dynamo Kiev, so that is a sobering reminder of what can happen if we're not right on it in this instance.[LNB]"I'm told the record books show that sides who have successful Europa League campaigns find that their league form drops off as a result, so it will be very interesting to see what happens, but we are very mindful of that."[LNB]Pulis is also well aware of the threat posed by newly-promoted Swansea, the Premier League's first Welsh club who recorded their maiden victory in the division in their last home game with a 3-0 triumph against West Brom.[LNB]"Swansea have done fantastically as a football club over the past five or six years - not just since (their manager) Brendan Rodgers came in, but prior to that as well," Pulis said.[LNB]"They have built a smashing football club there with an almost brand new stadium which has a fantastic atmosphere.[LNB]"I've watched them twice this year and they are a very, very good side. They pass the ball around well and they have good players.[LNB]"He (Rodgers) has put a belief into them that they can win matches.[LNB]"You only have to look at the result against West Brom to see what they can do, so it is going to be a massive game for us and a tough one."[LNB]As a proud Welshman, Pulis wants to see Swansea flourish this term - aside from Sunday and when they visit the Britannia Stadium, of course.[LNB]"I hope Swansea do well all season apart from in the two games where they play Stoke," Pulis said.[LNB]"I'd love Newport County to be promoted from the conference, Cardiff to get promoted out of the Championship and Swansea to stay in the Premier League. That would be a great year for Welsh football."
