I just don't buy that it was in any way amicable, and the idea they decided to have this chat on the day the transfer window closes is preposterous. "By the way Charlie, you do know I'm not planning to play you much this season?" "Wait, what? No, I thought I was in the first team?" "Oh right, should have said sooner... no, you're not. I know I made you our club captain, charity ambassador, and so on... but was thinking of playing that Tosin fella instead of you." "Bit of a problem that boss, I'd like first team football and now I've only got a few hours to find a new club." "Fancy Wigan?" "Do I!" Not convinced.

Can't really trust what he says is the truth at this point. If this was really the case it begs the question of why they decided to have this conversation on the day the transfer window was closing.

Mulgrew's best performances for us were in League 1. He was paid far more than the average League 1 player's salary. He's done just fine out of Rovers so I don't think we need to feel too sorry for him. With that said, if you'd told me at the end of May we'd be starting this season with Lenihan, Tosin and Williams as primary CBs for the 19/20 season, with Nyambe being used as CB & RB backup, I would not have been happy, to say the least.

Mowbray says he doesn't have to answer questions regarding anything he does with the players, so it seems unlikely we'll hear any official reason.

Pretty brief and blasé statement considering it's our club captain, who was also in the first team on Saturday.

As it stands I think we're a couple of decent defenders away from being a side capable of genuinely pushing for the playoffs. IMV we'd need a manager with an exceptional ability to get the best out of limited players to get the current squad into the top six - we're talking an Allardyce or a Warnock, and as we know Venky's aren't interested in hiring proven, successful managers. They literally had Warnock ready to go and opted for Coyle instead. Total buffoons.

With the window shut and at best a freebie or two arriving in the next few weeks, I anticipate anywhere between 13th to 22nd. I think we will be in serious trouble if we pick up a few defensive injuries, but if we have good luck on the injury front we should probably be okay to finish mid-table again. We will be absolutely nowhere near the top six.

Mowbray already told us it's apparently Venus.

Scary stuff if true, and it wouldn't surprise me if it was. Much like last summer it seems like it was panic stations on the final day of the window, hoping to get a super cheap deal as we appear to have either blown our entire budget on Gallagher or just never had a budget for defensive players. Either way this window combined with our dire first result and potential squad unrest could land us in big trouble this season. The squad isn't necessarily weaker than last season, but if the players are unhappy will we be able to pull ourselves out of tailspins like we did last season, or we continue plummeting to the ground until the pilot is ejected?

It either goes that way, or the players collectively think Mowbray is more of a problem than they are, and are pissed off that when a team leader voiced the concensus he was shipped out. Player power is a very real thing nowadays, rightly or wrongly, and this could as easily mark the end for Mowbray as anything else.

Rodwell is a crap CB and we're already overstocked in CM, why would we bring him back exactly?

Something like this has been coming with the way Mowbray has been going on in the press. Players like Travis, Nyambe, etc will keep their heads down because they know they aren't in a position to kick up a fuss, but when the senior players start getting annoyed then it only goes one way. This is really concerning imo.

Had to vote bad due to our meagre strength of depth across the defence. Midfield & Attack are strengthened, but they weren't exactly our weak points last year. Johnson is a decent signing to come in ahead of Evans, no qualms with that. Gallagher may come good as well but I think we overpaid for him and it also pushes Brereton down the pecking order which surely isn't going to help his development. Good signings - Johnson, Cunningham Unproven/unnecessary/questionable signings - Gallagher (mainly the fee), Downing, Walton, Tosin - these could all come good but it's a wait and see scenario. No 'bad' signings as such, but lack of defensive quality as a whole is a huge concern for me.

If we had gotten another CB in I would have said the window was OK. Not really good enough, but not bad either. As it stands we're a couple of defensive injuries away from disaster imo.

If we're talking net then it is one, as we let Raya & Mulgrew (assuming he leaves) go and brought in Tosin, Cunningham & Walton.

Of course. Has to prepare himself to be better than Amari Bell. Ffs.

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.