People think it was all set plays and throw-ins at Stoke. It wasn't. Tony Pulis recruited a team of characters who were tough and hard to beat, but we could play' Rory Delap on the Potters' other side under Pulis

"Whether it's questioning Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo's ability to perform on a cold, rainy night in the Potteries, or being written off as a team of agricultural bruisers and set-piece behemoths, Stoke fans of that era heard it all. But according to former Stoke midfielder Rory Delap, this physicality on its own was not enough to see the Potters establish themselves as a Premier League team and enjoy a ten-year spell in the top flight."

""The owner and the manager have to take a lot of credit, because Stoke were stuck in a rut in the Championship, but they made a decision to put money in without going stupid," Delap tells FourFourTwo when asked what it was like to help Stoke cement their top flight status. Tony Pulis recruited a team of characters who would fight for everything and fit in with how Stoke wanted to be viewed tough and hard to beat, but we could play."

"Peter Crouch, Jermaine Pennant, James Beattie, Matty Etherington and Kenwyne Jones were all very good footballers. People think it was all set plays and throw-ins. It wasn't. And talking of cliches, no chat about this era with former Republic of Ireland international Delap is complete without a mention of his bullet-like long throws, which regularly caused chaos in Premier League defences. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week."

Tony Pulis' Stoke City of the late 2000s and early 2010s faced abundant clichés about playing style and conditions. The owner and manager invested prudently to end Championship stagnation and build a top-flight team. Pulis recruited characters who fought for everything and fit a tough, hard-to-beat identity while retaining playing ability. Players such as Peter Crouch, Jermaine Pennant, James Beattie, Matty Etherington and Kenwyne Jones provided genuine footballing quality. Rory Delap's bullet-like long throws regularly caused chaos in Premier League defences. Opponents developed countermeasures, including moving advertising boards and using towels and ballboys to interfere with his throws.

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