Richards urges Hughes to spend big in January

“I think what’s killing us at the moment is the fact that there are a lot of games. A lot of people are starting to get tired already because they’re not used to this many matches,” Richards told the Manchester Evening News.

“It’s why you need a big squad, and we’re starting to build that, so I hope we’ll be all right.

“Becoming the richest club overnight is a good feeling. But money doesn’t automatically bring success. You’ve got to make sure you’ve got the right mix in your squad, and I hope we can do that this season.

“Maybe we can get some more players in January, and that will allow us to make a big push.”