Sign up NOW for daily Baggies news straight to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Tony Pulis has defended his selective approach to signings and believes West Bromwich Albion must learn from the mistakes of the scattergun era.

Pulis knows his squad, who take on Deportivo La Coruna tonight, need "four or five players" to mount another top ten challenge as well as extended runs in the cup competitions.

But the experienced Welshman has no intention of panicking and buying players he is not convinced will improve the first team.

Nor will he follow in the footsteps of his predecessor Alan Irvine who made 11 signings during the summer of 2014 - not one is still at the club.

"I think this is a good football club and I’m trying to bring in good players to the football club and that’s what we’re trying to do," he said.

"Anything less, or what the club did three or four years ago when they just brought in a load of players and hoped they were good.

"I just want to make sure the players we're going for are the right types and right ones.

"We know what we have to do and we’re trying our best."

Pulis has the final say on signings, although he'll almost definitely take on board feedback from Gary Megson, his new number two.

Thirteen years after leaving as a manager, Megson is back at the Hawthorns in place of Dave Kemp who has retired to spend more time with his family in the US.

"Meggy's been good, he’s been out of it for five years," Pulis said of his new assistant, whose last post in football was at Sheffield Wednesday.

"He's been a little bit cautious in some ways.

"He'll be a good asset and good member of the squad.

We're testing a new site: This content is coming soon

"He's got fantastic experience, he’s a good lad.

"He’s bubbly and he’s got plenty gas in the tank having had five years off."