New era at West Brom brings FA Cup ambitions for Tony Pulis

Albion haven't entered the FA Cup at this stage for 23 years, and back in 1993 Keith Burkinshaw's side were dumped out by Halifax Town in front of just 4,250 people.

The oldest association football competition in the world has been derided and diminished in recent years, but the competition has always meant a lot to the Baggies.

Five-time winners, and finalists 10 times, there was so nearly an 11th in 2008 when Nwankwo Kanu came back to haunt Tony Mowbray's side in a tense semi-final at Wembley. Apart from one scare three seasons ago, Albion have been bouncing around mid-table in the Premier League for the past six and a bit seasons.

There have been ups and downs but when the title is realistically out of reach, cups offer the only real shot at glory.

Tony Pulis took Stoke to the 2011 FA Cup final, which the Potters lost 1-0 to Manchester City.

And the Baggies head coach confirmed it was something he'd like to replicate with Albion.

As well as reaching the top half of the Premier League, it was one of the ambitions he set out with owner Gouchuan Lai and chairman John Williams when they were discussing his one-year contract

extension.

"We talked about how we did it at Stoke and it wasn't achieved overnight – it took a lot of sweat and hard work," said Pulis.

"That's the basis of what they want – they want people working very hard for this club; they want everyone together and pulling in that one direction."

Last season was a grind from start to finish, and the Baggies are currently on a dreadful run that's seen them pick up two wins out of the last 20 matches – that run includes a League Cup exit on penalties at the hands of League One Northampton Town.

The cups offer an escapism from the relentless circus of the Premier League but last season Albion limped out of the League Cup to Norwich in the third round and stumbled their way to the fifth round of the FA Cup, where there were unsavoury scenes at the end of a 3-1 defeat after Reading thoroughly outplayed them.

For the supporters' sake, this season needs to be better, but already there is only the FA Cup left. Albion are sitting just three points clear of the bottom three at the moment, so the immediate concern is moving up the table.

But Pulis admitted the new regime's long-term plans weren't just focused on the Premier League.

"Yes – they want to take the club forward, they want to be positive with it," he responded when asked if taking the Baggies to a final was an aim Lai and Williams had outlined.

Pulis is an old-fashioned coach who takes the FA Cup seriously. Last season he criticised the Premier League for devaluing the competition and scheduling midweek games after the third and fourth rounds. He's accepted the cup challenge laid down.

"The important thing is we embrace everything and everybody at the club where there's a star in the sky and everyone is pointing at that star," he said. "It's important everyone is pulling and pushing together."