THE silly season is here already with football rumours aplenty, but the appointment of Mark Hughes as Stoke City manager gets a huge ‘thumbs down’.

Odds compilers seldom get things wrong and the betting markets are never far from the truth.

So it’s interesting that even since the appointment of Hughes at the Britannia Stadium, Stoke remain fifth favourites for the drop next season at 5/2, behind Norwich and the three promoted clubs, Cardiff, Hull and Crystal Palace.

That means the bookies reckon he’s not the man for the job, and who can blame them after his shambolic reign at QPR?

Managers can have a bad time, or they simply find they don’t ‘fit’ at a certain club, but I think you can tell a lot about a manager by the type of players he gets on board and what sort of characters they are.

Sir Alex Ferguson was always a master of getting people to complement what he already had in his Old Trafford squad – and the moment they didn’t fit in any more they were gone.

Looking at some of the signings Hughes made at Loftus Road, too, they just leave you wondering how much store he puts in the well-being of the dressing room spirit.

I was so disappointed in how he handled things at QPR and if I was a Stoke City fan right now I’d be disappointed and not looking forward to the new season.

On the flip side, it looks like Everton are on the verge of confirming Roberto Martinez as their new manager and, to me, he looks perfect for Goodison Park.

Bill Kenwright wants someone from the same mould as David Moyes – someone who is hard working, a decent coach, a good person and honest.

All those boxes would seem to be ticked by Martinez, and I think the Spaniard knows the time is right for him to step up to a bigger job after his time at Wigan Athletic.

Indeed, in contrast to the Stoke City fans, I am sure the Everton faithful will be having a totally different approach to the start of next season.

On a slightly different tack, it’s incredible how hard agents are working at this time of year, trying to get their players on the back pages and to get them linked with all and sundry.

Gareth Bale and Luis Suarez to Real Madrid are the popular rumours right now, with Wayne Rooney supposedly on his way to any number of clubs.

It seems to me that some players – particularly those out of contract! – get better overnight simply by being associated with a top club, either here or abroad.

Like I said, it’s the silly season.