qwertyell

I think you're allowed to strengthen more than one position. Emre Can out, Fabinho in. That's a great upgrade. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Didn't say what division... Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Getting back to potential cheapish options if we're being tight: RB: Ryan Fredericks, 25 (Fulham) and Achraf Hakimi, 19 (Real Madrid) - both out of contract. CM: Oguzhan Ozyakup, 25 (Besiktas) - free Winger: Jonathan Bamba, 22 (St. Etienne) - free. Striker: Mario Balotelli, 27 (Nice) - free. Probably not realistic, but I'd doubt a massive club will take a punt on him now. Seems to have matured and has certainly got quality. Weirder things have happened... Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

If we're doing things on the relative cheap: CB: Hegazi, £2.5m AMC: Max Meyer, free Winger: Shaqiri, £12m Striker: Find a loan somewhere. Maybe use Les' Liverpool club card to get Solanke or Brewster for a season. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

It's hard to quantify what's realistic anymore under the present regime, seemingly committed to scaling back our ambition. Assuming sold starters like Bertrand and Cedric will be replaced and discounting them from the four hypothetical signings, I'd say we need: a CB, a midfielder who can go forwards, a wide attacker and a striker. CB: Issa Diop (Toulouse). Absolute beast. Lots of big clubs are looking at him, but is it beyond the realms of possibility that we couldn't pull off a "stepping stone" transfer for a young talent who is going to be a star, but isn't there yet? AMC: I think Grealish or Maddison would fit the bill lovely. Nick Powell would also be very realistic. We can't keep playing three holding midfielders, Ward-Prowse is pony and Hesketh isn't going to make the grade. Someone's got to pass forwards. Wide attacker: Sisto and Promes have been linked. Of the two, I do like the look of Sisto and - given that Promes is supposedly priced around £30m - I'd say the younger, probably cheaper and therefore more realistic option. Striker: Tammy Abraham. Pushing the limits of what is realistic, perhaps, but I think he's a brilliant player in the making - and more importantly, possibly open to persuasion with his pathway at Chelsea perennially blocked. If we're counting pennies, maybe we could wrangle a one or two year loan. Tall, strong, mobile, technically good with fantastic movement - Abraham's what we hoped Gallagher would be. I wouldn't hold a tough season at Swansea against him. Even in that crap side he scored more goals than our strikers managed. Assuming we'll keep at least one experienced quantity (Gabbiadini would be my choice) and reintegrate Gallagher, I think that'd leave us with a reasonable, though not groundbreaking, set of options up top. But typing that all out makes you realise just how much money we'd have to find for not exactly top-shelf players, just to keep moving forward. I reckon we'd do well to sign the above for under £60m. Do we have that? I suspect it's going to be a chastening off season. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Shocking? Sides were quoted £25m+ for him. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

I was hoping we were dragging things out because we were working on a surprise announcement of someone a bit less underwhelming than Hughes, but it turns out it was just boring old ineptitude. Fingers crossed he can keep us up. I don't see it getting any better than that. This time last year the club pursued Thomas Tuchal. It's been a chastening 12 month journey to simply being happy to survive. Oh well, at least we know now. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

I think Bertrand takes a very decent inswinger. Though that will be a moot point after a few more weeks of this transfer window, I'm sure. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

It's six managers in a row and counting who have struggled to consistently find a place or a role for Ward-Prowse in their starting XI. You can't say he hasn't been given a chance to lock down his position. Maybe it's an amazing coincidence. Maybe all those managers are wrong. Or prejudiced against Tintin hair. Or perhaps the simple reality is he's just not that special. Put it this way, if we sold him this summer, what exactly have we lost? One corner taking option. He's a central midfielder with none of the physical attributes to play there. He might as well be a four foot goalkeeper who can't jump - but takes a great goal kick. He tries pretty hard (although tracking runners is another weakness), but I don't see him in our best XI - at a time when our team is as devoid of quality as at any point since we returned to the Premier League. I don't think Harry Reed's going to make it either, but I do wonder what might've been if we'd given him the minutes and opportunities Ward-Prowse has had to develop instead. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Isn't he meant to be a heavy smoker and that's why he's out of puff after an hour of running about? Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Who would ever have thought, when we were finishing sixth under Ronald Koeman, that two seasons later we'd be getting impatient for the club to appoint Mark fricking Hughes? We've come a long way. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

The nigh on impossibility of taking a team from 17th to 17th. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Said no-one ever before appointing Mark Hughes. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Did I imagine it, or was there a story going around that, during the most crucial January transfer window (which was a disaster) since the club returned to the top flight, Les decided instead to take time off to go on a self-promotional speaking tour? Frankly, anyone remotely connected to January's inept dealings, where we managed to weaken the side, backed a lame duck manager, and spaffed £20m on someone who couldn't make the subs bench, should be out on their ear. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Ahmed Hegazi has a £2.5m release clause after WBA's relegation. 27, 6' 4", an absolute thug. No idea if he's much cop as a defender per se, but he'd fit the bill as an aerially strong CB on the cheap. DAJFU? Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Maddison, Jack Grealish, Nick Powell. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

IIRC "club mouthpiece" Wilson was telling us in January that we were after a striker, winger and centre back to boost our relegation fight. The reality of what we ended up with - a sack of guts not good enough for the subs bench - was very different. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Probably gutting for Bertrand, but he's only got himself to blame. LB has been there for the taking for the last year, but he's been half-assing it most weeks for us - and I guess sealed his fate with his injury time brain fade that cost us the win at Everton, with Southgate watching from the stands. Thought Alex McCarthy might get a form-based wildcard as third choice keeper, but sadly not. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Point being in relation to the OP about Hughes seemingly being nailed on for the job. He's not the Messiah - he took over when we were 17th and that's where we've finished. He's done the bare minimum to be considered for the job full time, but is that how low our bar is set now? Is he the outstanding candidate in all of footballdom? I hope the club have been weighing up more than one option over these past few months. We've been "making do" and muddling through with barely adequate replacements for far superior players for two years now - do we want that policy seeping into the management and coaching set-up too? Good luck to him if he gets the gig, but I can't help feeling it would be a strong commitment to mediocrity for club that claims to be ambitious and progressive. Although I'm sure once Les has briefed his favourite media mouthpieces, the spin will be about how it's all part of a wider plan to achieve excellence through British beef and poodle perms or something. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Professional job in the end. Well played. Ridiculous how many late goals we concede. Lack of fitness, focus, brains? Lots of changes needed on and off the field if we don't want to repeat this season's near-disaster. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

He's won two games. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Slow, plodding full backs went out of style with Danny Fox. Seems a nice kid, Targett. But he's not going to make the grade at the top level (assuming that's still where we reside/aspire to reside). Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Everyone loses the Leicester dressing room - even winning the league isn't good enough for that bunch of tossers. I suspect they've got far deeper problems than the manager. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Stoke did that. Worked out well... Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

The only team to score seven in a game this season are playing a side managed by the man who "organised" the chaotic opposition that day. Meanwhile, the only team to have conceded seven in a game this season are lining up against a Swansea side needing a big win... It might seem unlikely that we could go down from this position, but I'm not breathing easy yet. The somewhat gloaty, "job done" attitude coming out of the club feels premature. Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk