Decent enough signing. Streets ahead of our other options in that position. We needed more elsewhere but Cunningham in isolation is a good capture, even if only on loan.

I honestly don't think Mowbray has the courage to try three at the back regularly. He tried it a couple of times last season and it failed so miserably it was quickly forgotten. We haven't been playing three at the back in pre-season and we have nowhere near enough depth at CB to play that kind of system regularly, so, I doubt it's even come into Mowbray's thoughts as far as transfer targets are concerned. if it was then we would surely have been on the lookout for higher quality wing backs and more than just one CB signing.

Evidently it's now all his fault that FV aren't completing the takeover, despite it being imminent for weeks now... He obviously has some kind of case, or the judge wouldn't have granted the injunction.

Indeed. We already went down that route with the likes of Williamson, Browny, Taylor, Wes Brown, Delfouneso, etc... it only took us in one direction and it wasn't up.

Mediocre Championship player is still a million times better than Bell or Williams tbh. Those two make Tommy Spurr look like Roberto Carlos in his prime. Still huge question marks over CB and RB for me. Think we're in for another season of goals going in regularly at the wrong end of the pitch. Better hope the £12m strikeforce can deliver.

To tell you the truth I'm stunned he even wanted to come back here. He must have been getting desperate. Where exactly would he have played anyway? Right back? I'm actually inclined to think Mowbray would have replaced Travis with Reed in all honesty.

Yeah the stats are here somewhere... but I do think it's interesting that for all the talk of Mulgrew's set piece prowess he has very few assists at Championship level. Also a fair point. Calls into question how we set up for set pieces in general really.

Would be the heist of the century if they were paying all of his wages as well!

Interestingly Mulgrew only registered one assist in 57 Championship appearances for us. He scored 13 which is obviously impressive for a centre back, but there is an argument to be made that his set pieces are only worthwhile if they're a direct shot on goal.

By the sounds of it he might have a legitimate case, which would make things even worse for them.

There was a lot of talk about Mulgrew's goals and set pieces last year, but he had no assists to his name and we either won very few or none of the games he scored in. I believe our win % was a lot higher without him in the team, also, but I don't have those exact stats to hand.

What's the betting Wigan didn't get the paperwork through in time, and Mulgrew ends up staying here and we don't get Cunningham? Would just make this even more of a shambles...

I imagine the excuse will be that we will be potentially looking to sign Cunningham on a permanent if he does well, whilst Tosin will give us time to look for a permanent CB (or two) in either January or next summer. All bollocks of course as we had three months to get in CB's and only managed one loan which took so long he wasn't even in the squad for the first match of the season. In fact you could argue we had longer than three months as it was patently obvious way before the season ended that our defence was not up to scratch and we needed better central defenders. Mulgrew was dropped in March for goodness sake. We should have been on the lookout from that point onwards.

hah, definitely not. With Mulgrew gone Bennett is probably now our worst defender, although in his defence (no pun intended) he isn't a defender to begin with.

Been saying that for about two weeks lads. Seems like the court injunction is a convenient excuse to say "we were about to complete the transaction, honestly..."

Yes, which is why I put him at LB!

I don't think anyone would have predicted Mulgrew leaving tbf. Bell's performance on Saturday must have really terrified Tony if he felt he had no choice but to push Mulgrew out to get Cunningham in - if that is what has happened.

Cunningham is a great signing assuming he arrives, but letting Mulgrew go is a pretty big risk. I guess we're looking at Lenihan, Tosin, Nyambe and Williams as our 4 CB options. Better pray they all stay fit or we're thin on the ground to say the least. Nyambe - Lenihan - Tosin - Cunningham is an adequete defence and certainly better than Bennett - Lenihan - Mulgrew - Bell, at least, but I'm still not convinced Bennett is going to be dropped.

#versatility

Mulgrew is a liability who costs us points every time he's on the pitch, and the stats from last season overwhelmingly back that up, but it would be the most Mowbray thing ever to let him go with no replacement. Evans or Smallwood will probably end up at CB.

?

Either way it would be ridiculous to bring him in with Travis, Buckley, Evans, Smallwood, Johnson, Dack, Rothwell, Bennett and Downing all able to play either DMC or AMC. Would be a pointless and unnecessary transfer unless at least two of those were leaving.

Bell would probably get by in the SPL, but can you imagine him in the Champions League? I actually want this transfer to happen just so I can see this.

Technically as many as we like, but we can only name five in the matchday squad.

Could literally splice Mulgrew's name in there and it would be just as accurate! But of course those players never get named. Only the youngsters.