Tony Pulis: No better man in football than Darren Moore

Before he arrived, Stoke City had been Albion's bogey team for years, but Pulis turned that fixture on its head and took the Baggies on a six-game unbeaten run against the Potters.

Now he is trying to mastermind a win over the Baggies and a man he knows well in Darren Moore. But Pulis had nothing but praise for Albion's new incumbent in the dug-out.

"I hope he makes a good manager because there is not a better person I have met in football as a human being," said Pulis. "He is a wonderful lad.

"When he was my captain at Portsmouth, he was just fabulous, he gave everything.

"He was limited but he could lead battleships out of water, he was that good.

"I’m pleased he got the job and he has a good team there and the appointment of Graham Jones is a good decision that will help him."

Pulis spent nearly three years at the Albion helm, and while his methods divided the fan-base, he did enjoy periods of success before getting sacked last November.

“I just think I had run out of gas," he admitted. "The club recognised that. There was no bad feelings whatsoever.

"It had been a tough three years there, I took over when they were really really struggling.

"Then working through a changeover at the top, from Jeremy (Peace) to the Chinese owners, who were lovely people.

"It was very stressful, not just to get results in the Premier League but everything else that was going on behind the scenes."

After righting the ship in 2015, Albion endured a dour season before the Welshman guided them to a top-half finish in 2017.

“That season had ended on a bit of a downer really," admitted Pulis. "We started the next season with some good results and then it fell away a little bit.

"It was the right time for me to go. I thought I was leaving them a very good group of players.

“I was surprised they went down. Even though the change came it came early and there was a really good group.

"I was surprised at the appointment because Gary (Megson) was the ideal person, he was fresh, he’d been out of the game a while, but he knew the club and the squad.

"He was ready. Darren could have been his assistant. It was all there that if I left, it could all carry on.

"By getting a different manager in, and no disrespect to Alan (Pardew), who had different ways of doing things, it disrupted things. Instead of coming out of the rut, it spoilt things.

"I've got a good feeling for the football club, it's a great club and nice people there. We had a lot of good times.

"The last few weeks, yeah you take stick. But that's what managers do."

Boro may have missed out on Yannick Bolasie to Aston Villa, but they have signed Mo Besic on a season-long loan from Everton.

However, the midfielder is unlikely to be dropped straight into the team following their 2-0 win over Bristol City.