SNSUN

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.

Yeah I knew about the ten yellows, not about the deadline which is a relief, Romeu may not be at his best this season but he's still our best shield for the defence. I do still think we'll add an attacking player (probably Redmond), so either an unfit Lemina will make way or Hojbjerg.

Deflating to know that after 95 minutes of today's game we were probably safe as we'd have been above Huddersfield, but we can't hold grudges and we go again against Swansea. Simply a must win now as we can't rely on us to get anything against City. The team will be weaker though with no Yoshida or Romeu, and possibly Lemina so we need each player to be at their best. Midfield looks weak though. McCarthy Cedric Stephens Bednarek Hoedt Bertrand Hojbjerg Lemina/JWP Redmond Tadic Long

That is ****ing cruel. 3 points and we’d have gone above Huddersfield and virtually been safe. Now we’re back under pressure against Swansea. All or nothing. I’d have been happy with a point before the game too, but not like that...

We would have been down weeks ago if not for the crapness of the other teams at the bottom. If you'd have offered me our current position in the dark days of Pellegrino's reign in March I'd have bitten your hand off. It's because of the crapness of the other teams that we are still in with a shot, and so let's hope they continue to be crap and we can take advantage.

3 wins from 3 (extremely unlikely I know, just hypothetical) and 41 points could see us finish 11th. 11th! That is INSANE bearing how **** poor our season has been. That just shows the utter guff everyone has been in the bottom half of the table this season. If you offered me 4 points from the last 3, I'd take it, because I think that would be enough to overhaul Huddersfield. (Assuming they get a plucky draw from their remaining fixtures.) However, I also don't think Brighton will pick up another point, so 5 points for us would see us overhaul them on goal difference. Until this weekend I've thought relegation was a cert, but Hughes has changed things for the better and we have a glimmer of hope, even at this late stage in the season. I still think relegation is more likely than survival, but the players know what they have to do to stay up, and results of other teams seem to be going our way. An unlikely win (or plucky draw) at Everton next week would make for an exciting final week. (Annoying to think had we beaten Stoke, Newcastle or West Ham in recent weeks we'd be well clear of all this. ****ing Pellegrino.)

Huddersfield clearly the team we need to pass to stay up, and it's possible they won't get another point. West Ham also in catching distance as they have tough games. We need to beat Swansea but their fixtures (bar Chelsea which could go either way) are winnable. A Chelsea win today and it's been a cracking day of football. It has at least given us hope.

Definitely looking to hold onto the 2-1. Unbearable nerves!

Watching SSN. Whenever I hear MLT cheer in the background, I know it's good news! Really hope we can hang on to this, it's at least give us hope...

Playing the most expensive players in each position looks something like this... --------------------Forster-------------------- Cedric--------Bednarek---Hoedt----Bertrand ---------Hojbjerg--------Lemina------------- ---Redmond------Boufal------Tadic---------- ----------------Gabbiadini-------------------- (ignoring the ridiculous fact that Gardos, despite being on loan, is our second most expensive centre back at the club, and that only playing one striker means Long at £12million or whatever it was misses out. And yes, I've deliberately overlooked our record signing from January which should never have been allowed (as Pellegrino should have been long gone).) If you'd showed me that team on paper at the start of this season I'd have said we were a CB light but easily good enough for top ten. Crazy how mis-management changes things. For Bompey I'd reckon: McCarthy, Bednarek, Yoshida, Hoedt, Cedric, Romeu, Hojbjerg, Bertrand, Tadic, JWP, Long.

Have fun to the fans going today, I’m stuck at a family wedding in the Norfolk countryside and will be following it on an iPad with questionable connectivity. Good luck Saints whatever the result, just put in a performance to make us proud. 4-2 Chelsea is my prediction but a masterclass performance from JWP.

Except technically it's not in our hands? We're now relying on other teams to drop points. We can only do what we can, and try to win all our games, but Swansea only need 10 of their 15 points to be totally safe and even Palace who we have a game in hand on only need 9 from 12. 43 points is our maximum return now, even Palace's, who have played an extra game than us, can reach 46. Points will be dropped by others but they will also be dropped by us, we just have to hope for other teams to slip up and try to not slip up much more ourselves. I still think if we can catch anyone (and it's a big IF as I think we will run out of games) it will be Huddersfield, but we need to beat Leicester for that to happen, or mentally we will be broken.

5 wins all season, and we're now hoping to win 3 in 5. Although I still think if results go our way, we could stay up with 7 points (it is possible Huddersfield won't pick up another point) , but even though we're fighting more I can't see it happening now. We don't have the quality in defence and psychologically that gap in the League is huge now. Utter mis-management by Reed/Krueger et al to keep the utter mis-management of Pellegrino as long as we did. If we'd have brought in a new manager before the transfer window, (even though it wouldn't have been Hughes), I still reckon we'd be out the relegation zone by now, if not higher. If we stay up now I'll be amazed and delighted but it's easy to be deflated after throwing away a 2-0 lead.

The top 6 are now so strong (Leicester's doing) that I can't see any club sustaining a long term challenge to break into the top 6. Burnley are close this season but I doubt they will be there next season. The minute any club looks like they might be a threat to the top 6, they buy their best players. Leicester should have capitalised, and although they only sold Kante, they had a poor summer spend. Unless someone ploughs in billions and "does a City" over the next few years, Everton might I suppose, I feel the future of the Premier League will be the top 6 and everyone else fighting for 7th. I am interested to see how Wolves do next season though, they seem to be on a mission to achieve things.

That Chelsea team is full of quality. They may be in poor form but I reckon they'll have too much for us today. I correct my earlier predo of 1-1 to 1-3 to Chelsea but stranger things have happened. A point would be massive, as it puts us within 3 points of Swansea and Huddersfield.

Just like Stokes, a Player approaching their mid 20's born in Portsmouth? That'll be JWP!