Mark Hughes has spoken of the importance of whoever Saints appoint for next season of doing it quickly.

It is true to say that most Saints fans at this stage would not be against Mark Hughes being appointed on a permanent deal, this season has been a reality check for the Saints board after two appointments of European style coaches having varying results, Hughes was a departure from that model and the club whilst clearly impressed with the work Hughes has done know that it will need a slight tinkering of their recent blueprint to do that.

Hughes himself has spoken of the need for whatever decision is taken for it to be done quickly.

Hughes arrived on a deal only to the end of the season and he insisted it would be wrong to discuss new terms with Saints until after Sunday’s final game with Manchester City.

Asked if he would welcome Southampton moving quickly to secure a new long-term boss, Hughes replied:

“I think it’s important for the club that they do that."

“Clearly there’s work to be done immediately after the season, decisions have to be made in terms of recruitment and retention of the players."

“So it would make sense to make a quick appointment, but I can’t shape that or dictate that, that’s a decision for the club."

“It would be wrong to raise the question (of a new deal) before the end of the season."

“And the club has approached that situation in exactly the right manner. You may have an inkling the club would like to do something but those discussions have had to be put on hold.”

Asked if he would like to stay on beyond the end of the campaign, Hughes replied:

“It’s a very good club, especially with what’s in place here to allow players to move forward and have success.

“So yes, It’s a well-run club, good club, and a good opportunity for whoever gets it.”

Photo: Action Images

Sanguin added 15:50 - May 11 I don't think he's convinced he'll be offered it. But either way it's good for him and us to have an early decision for all the reasons Hughes outlines and so if we don't appoint Hughes, he can find himself an alternative position.
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patred added 16:13 - May 11 If he is not appointed, it will be yet another indictment against the board and Reed in particular. It will also mean a different way of running the football side of the club. Hughes and his team will want financial backing to put right the wrongs of the last 2 managers. Recruitment will be for Hughes not Reed, and if Les don't like that, then he knows where the door is.

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darthvader added 16:23 - May 11 Sign him up as soon as the whistle blows for full time, make the announcement I say. Feel good factor returns during the summer and we start in August on the front foot
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helpineedsomebody added 17:08 - May 11 when ML purchased saints the style of football changed & so did the type of footballers, they passed the ball & perhaps became more technical & let the ball do the work. now in the last 8 games we seem to now want to run every where & use a lot of energy thats ok when the players want to run every where but over a period of time they become jaded & start asking queistions why. mark hughes & his staff up to now have got this club out of a hell of a mess & well done to them but for me i dont like this type of system its like a very conservitive type of football which we havent played since roopes was in charge. for me MP& RK teams was far more positive & attractive to watch so for me i would like to see some one like LVG come in but its a hell of adecision to make now

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BoondockSaint added 17:30 - May 11 "It’s a very good club, especially with what’s in place here to allow players to move forward and have success." Is an alarming statement. Basically saying we are a feeder club and will never attempt to amount to much. Players who want success will have to find it elsewhere. Graeme Le Saux during the Everton game said that the continual selling of players (sometimes when they have only been here a year or less), tells the remaining players the club doesn't think much of them otherwise they would have been sold as well. It destroys team morale. If Hughes stays he better insist on a different attitude from the board otherwise we will keep flirting with relegation until we do drop out of the league.

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landsdownsaint added 19:49 - May 11 He’s made the club feel real again , if he doesn’t get the job & they appoint another failure I’d defo think somethings afoot
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saintjf added 21:03 - May 11 I would be delighted if Hughes stays. RK got found out at Everton. He did well at Saints because of the players he had available at the time. It is totally delusional to think that Saints can hold on to the likes of Mani, Alderweireld and Van Dijk. Champion league players. We have to exist an prosper in a level below that.
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DorsetIan added 07:41 - May 12 No one got fired for hiring IBM and no one gets fired for sticking with a winning manager. The club management are as human as the rest of us. They will have been sh*tt*ng themselves that their decisions to sack Puel and then keep hold of VVD and Pellegrino too long would send us down. Having now redeemed themselves with the appointment of Hughes (who wasn’t everyone’s choice - including mine) they are going to stick while they ahead. He has performed a minor miracle turning this season aronnd. There is not a cat’s chance that we will go down tomorrow, and there is not a cat’s chance that they won’t offer Hughes a permanent deal (which he may or may not accept). To be honest, I think the club would take the three years of mid-table finishes which Hughes is likely to offer. It will give them the stability to put in place the expansive Chinese marketing plan, which is clearly high up the agenda. And I have enjoyed watching these Hughes’ teams. Whatever else it is or it isn’t, it is proper passionate football.

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1970 added 11:27 - May 12 Fair play to mark hughes he has kept us up but id like to see some-one come in with a good quality back room staff that's where the hard work is done on the training field teaching new styles,checking fitness and character bonding we have lost that since RK & MPo left, we also need to set are targets a little bit above feeding the rich and maybe some success ourselves,yes it was nice going to Wembley with a real chance against utd but this latest trip was never going to bear fruit but instead hindered our last 4-5 games including the first demoralising defeat to chelski,if we are going to be lucky to get to finals we need a squad to be prepared to win not look totally inferior like the way utd scored two easy goals in the final and our second half collapse against chelski in the league game,we need a manger with back bone and drive and hopefully Krueger and Reed jogging on that would be excellent for all of us coyr

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SaintBrock added 21:26 - May 12 I don't think it's a good idea at all. If we aim to be a top club again then we should pay whatever is needed to get in a top manager. Of course Hughes has got us out of a very deep hole although not by playing top class football but by just getting back to basics sufficiently to get more out of this group of players in order to beat a couple of the sides we should have been beating all season. People should look past the relief of missing the drop and gratitude towards those who helped us do it. There is no room for sentiment and nostalgia in this league, if we are not driving forward then we will fall back again and we will only drive forward with top class people and Hughes is certainly not one of them.

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