Wigan Athletic boss Steve Bruce hopes Stoke City can stay realistic about their expectations next season.

Bruce said: "Expectation becomes bigger. But a club like this will be realistic about this league. Tony is an astute manager and will look at that.

"That is the difficulty when you are trying to improve. Let's be fair, it is hard for Tony (Pulis) to say this, but for the next four or five years, Stoke will always be a bottom-half team.

"I have been able to predict the top four for years, but now you can probably predict fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth in the Premier League.

"Apart from Fulham, Tony is top of that next league."