Tony Pulis: West Brom boss 'not bothered by pressure' amid speculation about his job

West Brom boss Tony Pulis believes he is a victim of his own success amid speculation about his future.

The Baggies entertain champions Chelsea on Saturday before facing Tottenham at Wembley on 25 November.

West Brom finished 10th last season, and Pulis said: "I understand the more you give, the more people want."

The Baggies are 16th in the Premier League table, one point above the relegation zone.

They won their first two matches of the season, at home to Bournemouth and away at Burnley, but have drawn four and lost five, including the past three, since.

"You don't have to tell me results have to get better," added Pulis, who will be without winger Nacer Chadli "for the foreseeable future" because of a thigh injury.

"Last season we stayed in eighth more than any other position in the league.

"We ended up 10th for third time in club's history. It is only the second time since 1967 that we have finished as the top Midlands club."

'What is pressure?'

Pulis is averaging 0.9 points per game this season as opposed to 1.2 in his previous 94 league matches with West Brom. His team's goals per game ratio is also down from 1.0 to 0.8.

In his final season at Stoke before leaving in May 2013, the Potters scored fewer goals per game than they normally had before and their win percentage and points per game both went down.

Stoke have gained 11 more points than West Brom since Pulis was appointed Baggies boss.

But Pulis defended his record at his news conference on Friday and said a visit to see a young fan at a hospice on Thursday "put life in perspective".

"I got a call on Tuesday about the lad becoming very poorly," he said.

"I spent all yesterday afternoon with him. He can't come to the game. That little boy was fantastic. We deal with people all the time who are focused on football, not what life is all about.

"All the pressure we are supposed to be under. We about what he is going through? Or his parents? What is pressure?"

Analysis: Pulis' reputation on the line

Simon Stone, BBC Sport

With speculation about his job mounting, Tony Pulis had done some fact checking ahead of his 9am news conference.

He pointed out he had delivered a top 10 top-flight finish for only the third time in their 11 seasons in the Premier League and been responsible for them finishing as top Midlands club.

He also told a salutary tale of a tragic youngster he had been to see at a Stoke hospice on Thursday and said what the lad and his family were going through was proof he was not living with proper pressure.

"We live in a bubble. Sometimes it is nice to prick the bubble."

Pulis will be well and truly back in it when Chelsea visit The Hawthorns on Saurday.

Ambitious Albion owner Guochuan Lai will be there to assess the merits of a team that has gathered just 12 points in its last 20 games.

Pulis' reputation as one the Premier League's most able fire fighters is on the line and with a visit to Tottenham coming next, he might need Lai to be in a pretty forgiving mood.