Stoke City chairman Peter Coates was pleased with their summer market work.

He believes the deadline-day signings of Peter Crouch, Wilson Palacios and Cameron Jerome, together with the earlier signatures of former England duo Jonathan Woodgate and Matthew Upson, now gives Stoke a chance to fight on all fronts in league and cup, in England and Europe.

"They are all good players and I can see where Tony Pulis is coming from," he told The Sentinel.

"It is quite clear we can get good players into Stoke City. It is a measure of how far we have come and a measure of the club's status in the game.

"We've got a big commitment this year football-wise and touch wood we can keep our Europa League run going.

"We've got a good squad now that will enable Tony Pulis to rest players and manage them in the way he wants."

But he also warned: "Football is not an exact science, it's an unpredictable business.

"When you have made such a huge investment you just hope it's going to work for you.

"There are never any guarantees, but we do think we have made some good signings."