STOKE City chairman Peter Coates says former boss Tony Pulis used to make decisions on bringing in new players until the last minute.
Pulis, now at the Crystal Palace helm, made the Potters into an established Premier League outfit before leaving last year.
He joined the Eagles in November and turned their fortunes around before making a number of impressive signings in the January transfer window.
Stoke supremo Coates, however, says his current boss Mark Hughes wants their transfer business done a lot earlier than previous years.
"Tony Pulis had a preference for leaving things late," Coates has been quoted.
"I wasn't always sure he was right but that's what he felt, so we tended to go down that path.
"Mark would rather do things earlier. They're all different. The outcome is the important thing."
