Tony Pulis admits Stoke's FA Cup heroics would not have been possible without their success in the Premier League.
Boss still prioritises league ahead of cup while Fuller awaits scan
Tony Pulis admits Stoke's FA Cup heroics would not have been possible without their success in the Premier League.
Stoke will face Manchester City in next month's Wembley final after a 5-0 demolition of Bolton Wanderers earlier in April.
The Potters are in Premier League action against Wolves on Tuesday night and Pulis insists he will always prioritise the top flight over cup success.
"We are absolutely delighted that we've got to an FA Cup final. It's an absolutely brilliant achievement by the club," he said.
"But the priority will always be the Premier League," added the 53-year-old, who guided Stoke to promotion to the top flight in 2008.
"That's where we want to play, and the longer we are in the Premier League the club will grow because it will give us the finances to make it a stronger club.
"We are in the black, we have just built a brand new training ground, we are investing into other areas of the football club we would have never dreamt of if we hadn't got into the Premier League.
"The Premier League is the food and drink and the icing on the cake is the cup competitions."
Survival
Stole are close to sealing another season in the top flight, having collected 39 of the supposed 40 points required to stay afloat and Pulis is hoping for a strong finish.
He said: "We have five more games to go and we've said all along we have to try to get as many points as we can from the games left."
Meanwhile, striker Ricardo Fuller will undergo a scan to determine the extent of the Achilles injury which forced him onto a stretcher during their 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on Saturday.
There are concerns about the Britannia Stadium that the Jamaican will not recover in time to take part in the final, but Pulis is keen to calm fears while the matter remains up in the air.
He said of Fuller: "Let's see what the scans say first before we start throwing positives or negatives at it. Then we'll take a view."
Team-mate Rory Delap added: "It didn't look good after the game. We are all devastated if it is what everyone thinks it is.
"You never know with the scan but we are all thinking of him and we know how devastated he is.
"He's been a big part of this club and it will be devastating if Ricardo misses the final."
