by Martin Spinks

TONY Pulis leads Stoke to the City of Manchester Stadium for the first time tomorrow declaring: "I wouldn't swap Peter Coates for any billionaire in the world."

Pulis believes he is the luckiest manager in the country when it comes to having a chairman such as Coates (below) – even luckier than Mark Hughes and his oil-rich budget at Manchester City.

"Put it like this," said Pulis, "I never go to bed thinking I want to sleep with Miss World. I'm happy with my wife.

"The chairman is very keen to put the foundations in place and it's very important we remain stable.

"It's a good thing the chairman is a local man and the club is not run by outside influences. It's run by a local man with the club at heart – and that's an almost unique situation in England.

"The worry is these people coming in from the outside with a load of money and then getting fed up with it. But here at Stoke, we know he's here for the long-term because it is his football club."

But Pulis admits that Manchester City's potential spending power will eventually catapult them into the truly big time by acknowledging: "They will become one of the giants of English football because of the backing they have.

"It's the first time this club has been to Eastlands. It's a great stadium and atmosphere, but we'll have a bucket load of our own fans there and I'm sure they will relish seeing Robinho and all them.

"Every one of their players is top quality, so we know it will be tough and also an open and entertaining game because of the players Man City have up front.

"We know how good they are in possession and we have to nullify that. It's a great challenge and one we relish."

Pulis, who faces City for the first time since a Wembley play-off final defeat when with Gillingham nine years ago, again played down the pressure building on record signing Dave Kitson as he searches for that elusive first goal for Stoke – and is left fighting for his place in the starting XI.

"It's a test of character for him," Pulis acknowledged, "and we have got to help him through it as much as he has got to help himself."

Pulis expects goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen to recover from the facial wound suffered against Tottenham last weekend, but is less optimistic about Ibrahima Sonko overcoming a groin injury in time for tomorrow's 3pm kick-off.

That leaves fellow central defender Ryan Shawcross in pole position to reclaim the slot he lost after the opening day of the season.