Don't talk daft nobody will know that for months what if Tosin turns out to be capable of notching a few with his head but can't defend well at all being so raw ? Hung parliament ? A Scottish International and captain admittedly on the wane is being replaced by a rather inexperienced youngster, it'll be a while before we know the result. Safer bet would've been replacing him with Hanley or similar.

There isn't really much other than Mulgrew losing his way to base that on yet, unlikely but he could have an Indian summer now whilst Tosin struggles.

Whatever happens it all falls down to a chronic lack of planning again which is bizarre after the comments over the last 12 months regarding this position. Left to chance in favour of other areas and blind hope that suddenly certain players will overnight come good again despite massive evidence to the contrary and assuming others would be good enough or fit enough to cover. Pretty novice stuff for a pro set up.

Some of the things over the last few windows have got the old alarm bells ringing topped off by this Mulgrew saga i just hope there isn't another little bit of a power struggle behind the scenes again. All most have really wanted over the last few windows was a decent centre half to compete with Mulgrew and eventually replace him whilst he continued to serve us well from the bench and off the park until he got himself a nice move away. What we've had is an absolute farce on that score but when you are a) Either so weak you have senior players virtually running the show or b) Are playing some players regularly you are told you have to this is where you end up. I'll say one thing for Mowbray through he's been very good to a lot of these players sometimes at the expense of others so they owe him big time let's hope they knuckle down and get on with it now because a lot of them did seem to worship at the alter of Charlie Mulgrew.

Decent signing in an area that needs improvement but lack of games makes him a prime candidate for the treatment of endless bedding in, highly likely to play second fiddle to other favs anyway. Should have been a proper CH though.

Ah the old wage bill again, the same one carrying his new 35 yr old signing Downing amongst others. It's just like transfer fees - unbalanced chucked away in big numbers here and there and scrimped on in others. No excuse not to get some decent defenders in at all when you can splurge millions on strikers and short term oap pals.

You're mistaking the difference between using money to try and get promotion bolting a few big guns onto a half decent but lacking squad with plugging gaps in an investment based model looking to grow to sell whilst hovering in the middle.

Correct OUT OF THE TEAM and relegated to back up / sub, the natural regression phase for older players whose legs are going but might still offer something else to the squad. Lets not alter the truth for sensationalism. Besides it'll only become a problem if no centre half of any note or experience is now brought in.

Far from building a defence or defenders are coming Mowbray & his gang just appear to be playing their own version of Russian roulette with the back line. Panic signings and exits rarely work out well - A word of caution.

Or an opportunist clever bit of stealth to get a high earner and alleged very influential persona off the payroll.

See now with Mulgrew there has to be a problem there or it's a financial thing but again to me it's a bit bonkers unless Hanley is coming. Mulgrew needed to be back up, bench fodder he was certainly handy to have around just not a good enough first choice anymore at CH. Very odd but if Nixon is all over it i'm suspicious who CM handlers are.

All that seems to have happened since Cunninghams name popped up is to prime the fans for it not actually happening so i'm struggling to believe they are very serious on that one. Mowbray having to drop Bell then leave him out weekly if this guy turns out to be the real deal ? Not happening therefore he's probably being told he's coming as back up to Dell & Bell and is leaving it to see if anything else comes up.

He's shifted around from the pot of money for players to pot of money for certain types of players to no set pot of money we present each thing to the owners etc etc Tripped himself up that many times he's beginning to sound like a man losing it or someone who really hasn't the first clue what he's on about when he hasn't been briefed by someone else. Not good.

This is where the difference is between running a club for the sole reason intended for the team to be successful and running it as some kind of tax navigating investment vehicle comes in. There are deals out there who would help fire you to promotion but they'll cost a bit in the short term and obviously need a wise man recruiting and setting out the team to fight kick and scream their way up. Everything needs building on a good defence and keeper though.

Similar with Hanley, no doubt he's flunked since he left here and he's was never going to make a top rated centre back but there is a good championship defender in there he just needs to realise his own limitations and settle down somewhere.

You don't think playing Bennett at RB over the RB is an issue and you seriously think Mowbray was planning this season with Mulgrew as 4th choice before any injuries or hold ups ? You've not been watching very closely have you.

Most of the 'lambasting' has centred around the lack of much needed sensible and hopefully proven defensive recruitments, yes we may well get one through the door but the point is this has been needed clearly for the past two windows before this. In fact it was a major contributor to the window in Jan when we went down so it was clear the min TM & co set foot in the gaff. Do they deserve lambasting for this window in isolation ? No not from my view but do they deserve it for the repeated theme of not spending in defence despite having at least some money over the past 12-18 months ? Of course they bloody well do it's ludicrous and nearly cost us big time last season. As for early business we managed to get some done early in less pressing areas so this has clearly been left to chance yet again.

Well at least you didn't use Bolton as your example although to be fair all clubs march to the beat of their own tune and i think the last bit of your post kind of explains why there isn't a pressing need for them to spend.

I don't forsee carnage although possibly an indifferent start but it's all typical Mowbray stuff this, Tony holds his nerve, bean counters happy, certain agents happy, middleman happy, Rovers hold on to the 15th place come May. Sales begin......

All changes he makes in that area are a big gamble there's no tried and trusted back up so yeah wny not it's just crazy it's being debated after one game but that's where we are at i suppose.

Two in over last 12 months for c 12 m and potentially one out for similar amount. There'll be no more invested its already been spent TM has hinted aft front loading before a sale in the past. His wage space might get used though but probably on yet another mid.

Interesting figure.......?

Nah i don't fancy him anywhere but the bench these days after being replaced by someone capable i just don't think the City kid is it.

Never a massive Hanley fan but he's better than anything we have or have had since....er Hanley. Christ knows what Mowbrays A list was then but he needs to be more realistic.

It's a toss up between a kid on loan or a busted flush but putting the kid next to Bell for a game like this a maybe a bigger risk than leaving Mulgrew in is clearly what i'm saying. Personally i think Mulgrew would be worse at LB than he is in the middle but a toss up again whether he'd do it better than Bell.