West Bromwich(WBA) vs Watford - Tony Pulis 'bites tongue' after High Court ruling - 7M sport

West Bromwich(WBA) vs Watford - Tony Pulis 'bites tongue' after High Court ruling



Posted Saturday, December 03, 2016 by PA

West Brom boss Tony Pulis said he had to "bite my tongue" after the High Court ruled he must pay former club Crystal Palace B#3.7million.

The 58-year-old must also pay costs and interest on the fine which comes from him walking out on the Eagles in 2014.

Judge Sir Michael Burton ruled against him after a hearing in London last month with details emerging in a written ruling published on Monday.

Arbitrators concluded "By any standards his conduct (prior to and during the litigation) has been shown to be disgraceful" and that Pulis had not been "committed to the club" when he quit in August 2014 after receiving a B£2million bonus, but the West Brom manager denied the claims.

He said: "Obviously I've got to bite my tongue a little bit at the moment. I'm really disappointed with the outcome and strenuously deny what has been said. But it's been done. I have to move on and we have to move on. I had 10 fantastic months at Crystal Palace.

"The first game I went and watched was at Hull when they had three points from 11 games and then that season we finished 11th in the league. It was a fantastic achievement, the players were brilliant, the supporters were fantastic.

"They're great memories for me and nothing will take that away from me. But I've got to move on. I've got a massive job here, a job I'm enjoying, we're flying at the moment, we've had a real good run. There's plenty of confidence at the moment, the supporters are enjoying it, which is really good as well. That's important.

"One day, and it can't be now, but one day hopefully I'll get the chance to actually pick this through with everybody."

Pulis' side host Watford on Saturday ninth in the Premier League but could be without striker Salomon Rondon who went home from training with tonsillitis on Thursday.

The B£12million striker will be assessed by the Baggies ahead of the visit of Watford but Nacer Chadli has fully recovered from minor knee surgery after his comeback in last week's 1-1 draw at Hull.

Striker Saido Berahino will not feature as he continues to regain match fitness and back-up goalkeeper Boaz Myhill (ankle) is unlikely to return for another two weeks.

Watford's out-of-form striker Odion Ighalo still has a future at the club despite losing his place in the team, manager Walter Mazzarri has said.

Ighalo attracted the interest of a host of big clubs - and was the subject of a B#37.5million bid from Chinese club Shanghai SIPG in the summer - after scoring 13 Premier League goals before the turn of the year last season.

But the 27-year-old Nigeria international found the back of the net on just two occasions in the second half of Watford's campaign, and he has scored just once in the league this term.

Boss Mazzarri changed his formation following Watford's 6-1 thrashing at Liverpool on November 6, and Ighalo was dropped to the bench for the ensuing matches against Leicester and Stoke.

But speaking ahead of his side's trip to West Brom, the Italian insisted he does not want Ighalo to leave the club when the transfer window opens next month.

"I speak about what I know and I speak about what I have seen so far this season," Mazzarri said. "He is a player that I like and I trust very much.

"When he was in a good condition at the beginning of the year he played, and started the games. Of course he is a player that we need.

"He is in competition at the same level with all the other strikers, and if we want to grow as a club and in the future go further in competitions, then you need to have at least six important strikers and Ighalo is one of them."

Mazzarri could have a number of high-profile absentees for his side's trip to West Brom.

Defender Younes Kaboul, who limped off in the defeat at Stoke last weekend and striker Isaac Success, out with a leg injury since October, face late fitness tests.

Defender Miguel Britos and midfielder Valon Behrami are both banned while Craig Cathcart remains sidelined with a groin injury. Midfielder Ben Watson is also a doubt.



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