SNSUN

He's linking up with the Koeman-managed Dutch squad for the World Cup, and both of us and Newcastle have been linked with him. We didn't sack Koeman, so here's hoping he prefers us to Everton and influences him towards the South Coast!

Move over Mo Salah, Liverpool have signed No Salad! I watched the final, despite the intention not to, and it was well worth watching - the tears, the screw ups, and then the utterly sublime from Bale. Born in Wales, made in Southampton. Awesome. Oh, and while I hate Liverpool, I hope Mo Salah is back for the World Cup. I plan on watching every game (that my newborn baby will allow) and he's worth watching. Oh, and Liverpool's best player was Mane. Surely bigger clubs are looking at him...

I guess Fredericks will sign a new contract now, but the right team got promoted. I'd have a punt on Grealish instead. Lightweight and has an attitude but undoubted talent, with a decent sell on profit down the line. Other than Johnstone the keeper, there's not one other Villa player I'd want.

Fulham are fresher, younger and have more standout players. Villa are chock full with experience and are probably stronger defensively. Could be tight. Fulham deserve it, so it'll probably be Villa. Either way, Terry will be celebrating with the winning team.

We're going to win the league!!! Seriously this was a no-brainer. He fits well, he's passionate, he's more no-nonsense that the last two managers we've had, and he did well in keeping us up when most of us thought we were heading for relegation. We have a manager with balls. Yes, there are questions over his transfer dealings, but he still led Stoke to their 3 highest ever Premier League finishes. Even if we see Hughes as a stepping stone back up the league, it's a decent appointment. Let's hope he's seen where the flaws are in the squad, and doesn't waste any time in bringing in some players to fill the gaps. For me, we need a goalkeeper to challenge McCarthy (unless we can't offload Forster in which case we have to keep him as second choice), we need a right back to replace Pied (if he goes, and maybe even 2 right backs if Cedric departs), a left back to replace the almost definitely departing Bertrand (unless he stays which would be a big surprise), a dominant centre back to bring our first choice centre backs to 5, an attacking midfielder (to replace Boufal, 2 attacking midfielders if I'm being greedy as I feel we're one light already), and a striker, unless we really are going to put our faith in the current crop (and if we do keep faith in the current crop, then I would definitely bring in 2 attacking midfielders.) WOOF, that's a lot of work, but the squad does need some surgery. Good Luck Mark. One Leslie in, now let's get one Leslie out.

He's quite slight compared to Kante. This photo of him next to Memphis Depay from a few years ago is damning. I don't know if he's bulked up since but he definitely needed to beef up when playing in the physical Premier League. (And no, I didn't Google "Jordy Clasie" naked, I just remember seeing this photo from a few years ago. Honest.) I also think Clasie has talent, but even if he stayed he'd be behind Romeu, Hojbjerg and Lemina (if we can keep hold of him) in the pecking order so it's probably best he leaves for first team football. Additionally we need to raise funds for signings.

I'm pleased he's staying, and am happy for him that his sending off didn't cost us at the end of the season. He's a perfect third choice for me, the only issue we have at the moment is he's currently amongst our best 2 centre backs. As last season showed, we need a dominant replacement for VVD in addition to the crop of CBs we currently have. So that means at centre back we have Yoshida, Hoedt, Stephens and Bednarek. (Assuming Gardos goes and not including any youth players.) Even with Bednarek showing he can be decent, and Hoedt improving in the latter few games of the season, we are still a centre back light for a 3-centre back system, so I expect we'll bring another one in. Gibson? Do we need another left footed centre back?

Leicester fans are talking about Perreira as if he'll be the best right back in the league next season. Rose tinted specs perhaps, but it certainly seems like Porto were gutted to lose him. Personally unless £30 million+ comes in for Cedric, or he kicks up a fuss and wants to leave, I'd keep him. We're already most likely seeing Pied leave e/o/c, and it's easier to replace one right back than two, and really, could we upgrade on Cedric for less than we'd sell him for? Sign Fredericks and have him and Cedric fighting it out for a first team spot. Instant strength.

Whoever we’re signing should be scouted competently, whether it be in this country or another, and although that’s not the be all and end all, it does imply it doesn’t matter whether a player isn’t signed from home or abroad. I suppose you could say lower league players have experience of the English game/system and are perhaps less likely to get homesick, but predominantly if a player is good enough for us, it doesn’t matter where we get them from. However then there is the question of expense. Foreign signings can be cheaper, but there’s no denying signing Ryan Fredericks from Fulham, a very good, nippy right back, on a free transfer this summer, would be a cracking bit of business. Is Gibson worth the rumoured £20million though? I’m not so sure. One player who has stuck out for me when watching Leeds last season (and Oxford before that) is Kemal Roofe. Decent midfield player and an eye for goal. I also wonder if we’ll be back in for Reid, whom we were linked with from Bristol City in January before blowing our load on Carrillo. There are decent players down there, you just have to hope you find a Dele Alli.

Hatton Cross very expensive as it's classed as part of the airport. Better to drive the extra 5 minutes to Hounslow West (£5.50 the day still I think) and a much bigger car park. Also Hillingdon car park is huge. Depends where in London you wish to go I guess.

Nope, but that's the point of an insurance bet - you want to lose it. I'm far happier seeing Saints survive than I would have been with the profit, (even with a new baby arriving in a couple of weeks), and I'm not a hardcore gambler - only bet what I can afford. Hughes definitely did a good job when he came in, but it was a large part due to the crud of the teams around us that we survived. If Stoke or Swansea had picked up a bit, or WBA's renaissance started earlier, then Pellegrino would have royally screwed us and we would have gone down. It was a very poor league the season just gone - we can't rely on that happening next season which is why the safe hands of Hughes would be the best choice for the time being. IF he's suffering come Christmas, then we can say we're wrong and look to appoint someone else. But I personally think he'll be better than Pellegrino and after last season, I'll take that.

This is pretty much my thought on the issue - strong in attack but weak elsewhere, especially in central midfield. I still think Drinkwater would have gone had he stayed and performed for Leicester, but on the whole we are weak in central midfield, although with Dier and Henderson I doubt others would get much of a look in anyway. The starting XI of the first game was being debated by the TalkSport lot earlier, who came up with: Pickford, Walker, Stones, Maguire, Trippier, Henderson, Dier, Young, Lindgaard, Kane, Sterling. Hard to argue with that really with the players he has taken, depending on who is fit at the time. I'm still not sure about Walker at centre back but I guess we wait and see. Looks like Payet could miss the France squad - he's just gone off injured for Marseille and is in tears.

This, but in addition their ineptitude to do anything quickly. We need a manager in place NOW, in a summer interrupted by a World Cup and with an early transfer window finish. Hughes has been here a couple of months, he has seen and experienced our strengths and weaknesses and would know what needs strengthening. Additionally, it's highly unlikely he'll bugger off at the first sign of interest from a bigger club. I'm very much "Hughes In", yes there are better managers out there I'm not disputing that, but Hughes is here now, knows the club, now knows that squad, some of which praise him for the job he was doing, and can start the rebuilding process now. And yes it's true, for all the talk of Emery and Silva etc, who's to say Reed won't saddle us with some nonentity from the Romanian second tier!

Needed an experienced manager to sort out the boring Puel team and the rot that had set in. Got Pellegrino. Completely wrong for the job, and while that's not his fault, he seemed unwilling to change. I could see we were cruising towards relegation in early November when the insurance bet went on, and while I back every manager initially whether they're the appointment I want to see or not, he was the manager I've lost faith in quickest. Bang out of his depth at this level and should have gone a lot earlier. To bring in Carrillo for a record signing fee was foolishness, and I often wonder if a more experienced manager would have pushed harder for more January signings, especially defensively. It's like a Harvester grill chef getting a job at a Michelin star restaurant, he knows how to cook food, and some of it tastes nice, but he's out of his depth and bookings will suffer. Still, he's gone, we survived thanks to Hughes. I either hope Reed now sods off or massively and very quickly learns the error of his ways. The rebuilding starts now. No more risky appointments just because we hope they are the next Pochettino, and no more risky panic signings.

I'm torn, my mate is a Fulham fan so on one hand I want them to go up, on the other hand Fredericks is on a free and we've been linked with him, and they have a few other decent players that could be pilfered like Cairney. Sess will end up in the top 6 for sure unless they go up. Also, good cross from Targett for the first goal.

Goalkeepers: Keep: McCarthy, Lewis. In: First choice/challenger to McCarthy Out: Forster (if someone will have him), Taylor. I don't know if anyone will take Forster because of his wages though, would he be satisfied as back up through next season? Right back: Keep: Cedric (see below), Valery In: New RB to challenge Cedric long term (+maybe another, see below) Out: Pied If Cedric goes (he may be wanted by bigger clubs) then we'd need to do major surgery with a couple of newbies. Valery still as youth back up. Left Back: Keep: Bertrand (well I would, but think he'll go), McQueen, Targett (if Bertrand goes) In: First choice left back (like Tierney) if Bertrand goes, which may means selling Targett. Out: Bertrand or Targett (see above) Looks like Bertrand will go, do we trust in Targett and McQueen? Part of me hopes not. IMO it'll be a new left back in as first choice, and Bertrand and Targett sold. Centre Back: Keep: Stephens, Hoedt, Bednarek. In: New beast of a centre back Out: Yoshida. I'd keep him but we need a space in the squad for the new centre back and he's been linked away recently. One in, one out. Non-attacking midfield: Keep: Romeu, Hojbjerg, Lemina (unless otherwise courted but I'd like him to stay), JWP, Davis, In: New beast DM, possibly another if Lemina leaves or Davis retires (though I think he has another season in him) Out: Reed, Clasie, possibly one of Lemina or Davis. Definitely would like to see a Wanyamaesque signing. Attacking midfield: Keep: Tadic, Hesketh, Sims, Redmond (unless someone wants him for money but I'd give him one more season) In: A creative player and a pacy winger type player. That's 2 needed here for sure. Out: Boufal (shame but I'd rather keep Hughes than him) Need more strength. Keep Tadic as he's earned it recently, but two new AM's definitely needed IMO. Striker: Keep: Austin, Long In: 2 new strikers please, or one if we keep Gabbiadini but I don't see that happening. Out: Carrillo (but I fear we're stuck with him), Gallagher (to the Championship but with a first choice buy back clause), Gabbiadini (homesick) All in all, full backs and attacking midfield need the most work, but the whole backbone needs strengthening. So much work needs doing though, Hughes is right for this job.

Survival is worth every penny of what I'd have gained from the insurance bet, but it's a shame we couldn't hold out for the point, finishing us above Huddersfield and gaining us and extra couple of million quid. Whenever we go into a season, we look for 3 teams worse than us, but I would never have predicted it would be the three that have finished below us. Still, as Dalek so often says, look for 17th and the rest is a bonus. Too close for comfort though. Keep Hughes, start the rebuilding next week (not in bloody July) and we might actually not be in the same crap we were this season. As for today, we were the better team at times, it's a shame we couldn't nick it. Hoedt is growing in stature and could be a big player for us next year. My MOTM. Shame we switched off at the end though. I lay the blame for the cruddy season about 80% at Pellegrino's door and 20% at Reed and co. Pellegrino was out of his depth and never should have been chosen, not least being able to sign a player who can barely kick a ball for our record signing. Hughes is much better and I hope he signs the contract. Oh, and that will royally annoy the Stoke fans too.

Every summer since Koeman I’ve said Rodgers is the perfect fit for us, good coach, experience, could bring some Celtic players with him. However Hughes has earned the right, for a season at least, to show us what he’s capable of long term. I know fans of his past clubs aren’t fans of his, but he seems a good fit for us. Put it this way, can he be as boring as Puel or as crap as Pellegrino? I think not. Give him a go.

Freak results have happened in the Premier League era, who can forget our favourite 8-0... https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/29580147 but not everyone is as crap as Sunderland were that day, and in this Sunday's case, the set of circumstances that would occur if such freak results are achieved, I would hope the FA and Premier League look into match fixing. But anyway, it ain't happening. Enjoy the day and breathe a deep sigh of relief that the season is over, we survived despite being utter toss for most of it, and we don't get pulled apart by the vultures. I wish I could be at St Marys on Sunday, both sets of fans celebrating for different reasons. Leslie Mark Hughes. Respect. Mauricio Pellegrino. Thanks but no thanks.

This. In a summer with an early transfer window finish, we already have a decent manager in place. I don't think he's the best we could attract, but he's far from the worst and has done a miracle job in his short time here. Stoke may hate him but he wouldn't be solely in charge of transfers here which was what they're blaming him for. I'm on board with Hughsey.

Would feel more comfortable on the last day if Chelsea win this. I don't think a ten goal swing is likely and Swansea fans are clutching at straws but you never know. Still no point cashing in my relegation insurance bet now so that's still there I guess. 6 mins of injury...

**** the Premier League, **** the top 6, **** everything. Unless we stay up. Then I'll love it. Bednarek KOd. Get him off for Gabz

One piece of quality and one piece of luck. Thats all we need to win this game... Good skills Cedric

Our weakest department is centre back and we have 3 out there. Let Bednarek and Hoedt be the centre backs, switch to 4 at the back, and sub Stephens on for Long. They will **** their pants. Then around sixty minutes, sub Redmond for Sims and Tadic for Gabbiadini and ****ing go for the win! Win or bust and we're 45 away from potentially needing a win against City. I can barely watch. Hughes needs to give the team talk of his bloody career...

The two points dropped against Everton will ultimately cost us, but if we are looking at positive and surprising endings, then I say we lose to Swansea tomorrow, and Swansea fans react like they've won the league. However on the last day we pull off a resounding 3-1 win against a disinterested City, and Stoke, not wanting to finish bottom, smash Swansea. Swansea go down on goal difference and we finish above them and Huddersfield, who lose both games by the odd goal. They key to the end of the season is that we know we have to beat Swansea, but we don't know what sort of City side will turn up.