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Pulis slams 'joke' transfer windowStoke boss Tony Pulis has slammed the transfer window as a "joke" after being unable to add to a squad decimated by injuries in recent weeks
Pulis has strikers Ricardo Fuller and Richard Cresswell suspended and six players injured for Saturday's tricky FA Cup third-round tie at Hartlepool.
And he admitted he would have loved to have been able to recruit new players in recent weeks to boost numbers.
He said: "I think the transfer window is a joke. The system favours the big clubs with the big squads and impedes the smaller clubs.
"We've lost a lot of players through injuries, but haven't been able to sign anyone to give us a lift until now. It's nonsense.
"We live in a country of free trade and it should be free trade."
Fuller starts a three-match ban for slapping his captain Andy Griffin at West Ham and Cresswell is suspended for one game for accumulating five bookings.
Griffin has aggravated a knee problem and he is set to join Mamady Sidibe (knee), Amdy Faye (back), Salif Diao (calf), Leon Cort (groin) and Dave Kitson (knee) on the sidelines.
Vincent Pericard is the only available striker on Pulis' books, but the Stoke boss insisted: "Whatever team we put out will be competitive and have a right go.
"We've got a lot of players around the fringes of the team who are desperate for games and this gives them an ideal opportunity.
"But the FA Cup is a special competition, third-round day is extra special and we will be doing everything we can to win the game.
"We did smashing to reach the quarter finals of the League Cup and we certainly want to progress as far as we can in the FA Cup."
Pulis will make a late decision on whether to start winger Liam Lawrence, who has been sidelined for three months with an ankle injury he sustained when he tripped over his pet dog on the stairs.
He said: "Liam has trained with the group for a week now and I would think he will be involved on Saturday.
"Everybody knows what an important player he was in helping us to get to the Premier League and it will be nice to have him back.
"Dave Kitson is also making progress and returned to training, but this weekend might be a bit soon to consider him. We will wait and see."
Meanwhile, Pulis is waiting to hear from referees' assessors Peter Shreeves and Kenny Hibbert after he was less than impressed with the officials in Stoke's defeats by Manchester United and West Ham over Christmas.
He said: "I'll wait and see what Peter and Kenny have to say and then maybe have a word with (referees' chief) Keith Hackett.
"We just expect parity with the teams we play against and we don't believe we've been getting that.
"It has been that way for a build up of games now. We are not asking for anything more than other clubs, we are just asking to be treated the same.
"I've kept my peace with the referees so far but I think it's time to say something. Our chairman Peter Coates has spoken about it and I'll be following that up."
Stoke had Andy Wilkinson and Fuller sent off against Manchester United and West Ham respectively, but believe their opponents should also have had players dismissed.
