STOKE SET FOR FUNDING SUMMIT

Pulis believes he needs to strengthen the Potters' squad as they battle to retain their Barclays Premier League status.

And ahead of Saturday's tough trip to face Newcastle, Pulis hopes he can map out the club's future, saying; "Peter and me will have dinner together, where we will discuss how the club moves on."

Stoke suffered a major setback on Tuesday when they were knocked out of the Carling Cup by Derby, and Coates said: "The season was fine until Tuesday. That was a huge disappointment.

"But we are pleased with the progress, and we have a reasonable points tally. We are pretty much on target.

"Tuesday was a big disappointment because there was a great chance of going further and even getting to Wembley. But we all know staying in the Premier League is the priority."

Stoke spent more than £20million on new players in the summer, but Coates claims the plan was always to strengthen again in January.

Despite a good start, the Potters are only three points clear of the relegation zone.

Coates said: "You only have to look at the league table to see four points one way or the other can take you a long way. It is very tight.

"In January, our plan is to strengthen the squad. That was always our intention."