During the summer Albion spent £22million on Queens Park Rangers winger Matt Phillips, Tottenham midfielder Nacer Chadli, Watford right-back Allan Nyom and free agent Hal Robson-Kanu, as well as bringing Everton defender Brendan Galloway on loan.

Pulis said two weeks before the window shut - long after Phillips had already joined - that he wanted five players to add to the squad.

After a disappointing deadline day saw Nyom and Robson-Kanu arrive at the club, Williams issued a pointed statement a day later that said: "Tony wanted five and we got five."

But Pulis has hit back at that assertion made by Albion's new chairman, ramping up tension between the Baggies head coach and the board.

"The five players that John has said I was happy with, they weren't the marquee players I wanted to bring in," he said. "But we've brought the players in and we've got to get on with it.

"There's all sort of different reasons why those players weren't brought in, but to try and say they were the five that I wanted, that's wrong.

"I've spoken to John about it and I think he accepts that."

However, Albion's head coach played down speculation of a rift between him and Williams, who recently joined the club.

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And he hinted that his real frustration was with the timing of the Chinese takeover, which is due to be completed by the end of next week.

"I've spoken to John," said Pulis. "John's a good man. I feel a little bit sorry for John, he's come in and been put in a position of being in the crossfire of a changeover of ownership.

"He's a good man, I'll say that. I've had real good conversations with John, I've got to know him, he's a decent fella. And he's desperate for the club to do well."

"People are going to talk and they have every right to discuss it and make their own conclusions," added Pulis.

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"To try and bluff and blag your way through something that went on, I'm not for that.

"As I've said, the five marquee players that I wanted to bring in, we didn't, for all sorts of reason.

"No-one's at fault, but the players we've brought in, fine. Now let's get on with it and march on."

There were rumours immediately after the window that Pulis was going to walk out of The Hawthorns in a similar way he walked out of his last job at Crystal Palace.

He dismissed the notion that he would leave the club of his own accord, but admitted that he was trying to get used to have less control than he's used to.

When asked if he had contemplated walking out, he answered: "No. This club is different to any club I've been at before, the way it's managed.

"There are people around doing different things that I've never had.

"It's been a good experience for me and I want to get through it, with that experience.

"Because it's more like a continental-run club.

"Whereas before, at other clubs, I've had much more control over things, this club is different, and I really wanted to experience it.

"Maybe in a couple of years time when I write my book, I'll let you know exactly what I experienced."

It appears the only way Pulis will be leaving the Baggies is if the new regime decide to sack him after they take complete control next week.

The 58-year-old divides opinion among supporters, but he called for more long-term stability at the club.

"There's always a negativity around football clubs," he said. "You have to accept that.

"Before I joined the football club, Alan Irvine was playing fantastic football but wasn't getting the results, so people were moaning about that.

"Now it's spun around. We're not playing fantastic football, so they say, so they're moaning about us.

"You're always going to get that situation where there's a group of supporters who are never going to be happy.

"The changeover of manager at this football club is extraordinary.

"We should try and get some stability at this football club, try and build something and push on.

"Especially now, you've got the change of ownership. The Chinese will be taking over soon, it's up to them to set their stall out about how they want this football club to be run in the future.

"Whether they want stability and really build on the football club or whether they're prepared to do what's happened in the past and keep changing managers over."

Pulis wasn't at Albion's historic friendly with Delhi Dynamos last weekend, when the Baggies handed trials to Mohamed Sissoko and Marouane Chamakh - both of whom are still training with the club.

Some observers wondered if his absence suggested a departure was imminent, and there were conflicting reports that he was either with his family in London or watching Bournemouth play AC Milan in preparation for tomorrow's game at the Vitality Stadium.

"Last week I was supposed to be shopping in London, I am the worst person in the world shopping, I never go shopping," said Pulis.

"There was a programme discussing why I was shopping when we were playing Delhi Dynamos.

"I was watching a game last Saturday, so all the rumours and all the speculation, everything that has built up, 90 per cent of it is absolute nonsense.

"I'm pleased the window's closed so we can all concentrate on the results and the performances of the players."