Wolves’ boss Mick McCarthy backs Tony Pulis to win Manager of the Year award ahead of clash with Stoke City

EPL ; Mick McCarthy , Wolverhampton vs Bolton(Getty Images)

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Wolves manager Mick McCarthy backed Stoke City boss Tony Pulis to win the Manager of the Year Award, ahead of tonight’s heavily staked game between the two relegation threatened sides.

A victory for McCarthy’s Wolves will see them climb one-point clear of the relegation zone, whereas a win for Pulis’ Stoke City will virtually grant them Premier League safety, and following their fantastic FA Cup run – which sees them face Manchester City in May’s final – the Wanderers boss was full of praise for his counterpart.

“Tony is a mate of mine and I’m delighted for him to get to the final,” McCarthy told the club’s official website.

“You get to vote for three of them Manager of the Year and Tony has got a vote of mine.”

“It was a great semi-final victory, but just the job he has done – he has improved the club year-in year- out and they’ve got better as a team.

“They get much maligned, but never from me because there is more than one way to win a game of football and what he does is get the best out of people,” he added.

“He has resurrected the careers of one or two there he has got the best out of.

“He makes his teams well organised and difficult to play against and highly motivated.

Speaking about the Stoke team McCarthy’s Wolves will face tonight, he added: “They are a good team, excellent in the semi-final, and have got good players, lots of height in their team.

“They do make it difficult from free-kicks, corners, throw-ins, that is part of the game and it is a skill.

“It’s always said about Stoke that ‘you know what to expect’ against them like it’s derogatory. And it shouldn’t be.

“They are a hard side to play against but I didn’t see one goal at Wembley which came from a long throw or a corner kick.

“I saw some magnificent strikes and some really good football.”

The former Republic of Ireland boss was also quick to commend Stoke midfielder Rory Delap, whom McCarthy knows well after signing the Irish international for Sunderland and giving him his Irish international debut. Delap’s notorious long-ball throws have helped set-up countless attacks and goals for The Potters this season, but have also attracted a lot of criticism for the thirty-four year-old.

McCarthy added: “What Rory has is a wonderful piece of armoury – if that goal they scored on Saturday had have been from a free kick it would have been hailed as magnificent. But for me that was equally as magnificent.”

“I seem to remember having a long throw when I played and hurling loads in myself but no one made a fuss of it.

“Rory is a better player than that. I signed him up at Sunderland and gave him his debut for Ireland.

“He’s a great lad. I’m not just singing his praises but he’s a terrific lad.
 
“He had a bad leg break as well, so fair play to Tony because they have been well repaid for his loyalty and patience with him when he broke his leg – they signed him and kept him. He has repaid the club.”

The Wolves’ boss remained focused on tonight’s trip to the Britannia Stadium, and refused to let other forthcoming games between Premier League strugglers become a distraction to his team.

He said: “It will only be a bonus if we get something,”

“It’s our game in hand and it’s a chance to get out of the bottom three. No one is playing and only our result is going to affect anything.

“We won’t be sat waiting for other results because they’re not going to happen.

“It’s an opportunity for us to get out of it and for them it’s a chance for them to be safe although I think they’re safe anyway.”