What's the latest with Lee Bullen and Nicky Weaver's position at Sheffield Wednesday?
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There are gaps to fill after the departure of assistant manager James Beattie, first team coach Andrew Hughes and goalkeeping coach Darryl Flahavan with Garry Monk last week.
Gardner, not long ago a Pulis midfielder at West Brom, has arrived with no official confirmation of an exact job title. Further additions are expected in the coming weeks.
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Hide AdLong-time Pulis colleagues David Kemp and Jonathan Gould are believed to be happy in their lives in Canada and New Zealand respectively, prompting speculation over who the new manager might bring into the club
There have also been question marks over whether first team roles could be filled by evergreen Owls staffers Lee Bullen and Nicky Weaver, who were both moved back into the club’s academy set-up as Monk brought in his own team in pre-season.
The Star understands that three-time caretaker boss Bullen is enjoying life with the under-23s and is unlikely to be elevated back to first team involvement. Neil Thompson took training ahead of the new manager’s arrival earlier this week alongside Weaver, who took a goalkeeping group including the recalled Keiren Westwood.
Back in 1999 Weaver’s penalty penalty shootout heroics cost Pulis’ Gillingham a place in the second tier as Manchester City won out in the Division Two playoff final.
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Hide Ad“Nicky has been with the first team,” Pulis laughed when asked on Weaver’s future. “Now let me just say this, I wasn’t too keen seeing Nicky Weaver!
“After the 99’ playoff final against Man City and him saving those penalties, that’s what I said to him, ‘Nicky, don’t talk to me mate I still haven’t forgotten!’.
“On a serious note, he’s a good lad and he’s taken the goalkeepers. I’ll assess it as we go along but I do want to bring my own staff in if I possibly can.”
Pulis’ comments that he hoped that Gardner would ‘provide a link between the academy and the first team’ prompted speculation that he would be taking up a role as a youth coach, but it has been since become clear that it was a reference to the 33-year-old’s age.