Stoke boss Tony Pulis believes his main challenge is keeping expectations to manageable levels. Currently eighth in the Premier League and through to the last 32 of the Europa League - a competition they qualified for via their FA Cup final appearance in May - the Potters have continued their impressive 2011 with a strong start to the season.
"We have played more three-game weeks than the majority of the teams in the Premier League and they have included journeys of many miles during our Europa League campaign.
"That is only so far, and there is a long way to go. We'll reach halfway on Saturday, and the second half of the season is going to be tough, which we accept."
He added: "The problem is managing expectations now. There comes a point where you take the club to a level which far exceeds really what it should be achieving, and then people want more and more and more.
"It is about how you manage that and keep people's feet on the ground, which is always very difficult.
"In society today, everyone always wants that little bit more all the time and you can only achieve a certain amount.
"It is about knowing what level you are on, what you can achieve and what you can't achieve and accepting that, while trying to improve if you can along the way." "I think what we have done so far this season has been absolutely remarkable.
