Tony Mowbray feels it’s only right to be talking about having the best assembled squad during his time at the club given he’s into his fourth full season in charge.

Rovers added eight new faces during the transfer window and the inclusion of the four deadline day signings at Watford on Wednesday night gave the matchday 18 its strongest look yet.

There has been limited time on the training pitches, with games every three or four days, but when the squad have had chance to all be involved together, Mowbray says the new recruits have added an extra level of quality, and intensity, to the sessions.

While there is an expectation of a top six finish at the club, Mowbray believes their business will also make those outside the East Lancashire area sit up and take notice.

“I think so, and I think that’s only expected and natural,” he said of the strength of his squad.

“I’ve been saying for a long time now that we have to try and build a club and you keep trying to build it depending on where you’re going and what your resource is.

“I would hope that we’re talking this time next year and we’re spending £15m or £20m on a player because that’s what we want to do and you’ll be asking again ‘is this your strongest squad?’.

“The expectation is high and that’s only right, let’s make sure that everyone expects Blackburn Rovers to be around the top six.

“I’ve said every year I’m here, I don’t look or concentrate on the table until a dozen games are gone. Let’s see where we are in another six games, whether we’re threatening the play-offs.”

Rovers went into the international break in sixth place, with seven points from their opening four matches, but back-to-back defeats since, against Nottingham Forest and Watford, have seen them to drop to 14th.

Not that Mowbray will be taking any notice of the table in the early weeks, believing it will be six more games before the standings start to take shape.

Having travelled to two recently relegated Premier League teams, and sides who have been top six challengers in recent seasons in Cardiff, Forest and Derby, Mowbray feels it has been a tough start on paper for his side, but one where he's seen plenty of positives for his side.

He added: “Who’s strong and who’s not strong? The league will show that over a longevity.

“We have played two teams relegated from the Premier League last season away from home, we’ve played teams that have been in and around the play-offs in the last few years.

“On paper, the schedule looked pretty tough. I think we’ve applied ourselves well, even the games we didn’t win at Bournemouth and Watford we’ve given a pretty strong account of ourselves and we have to try and maintain those standards and levels.

“If we do, I’m sure we’re going to win plenty of football matches and accrue enough points to make sure we’re competitive in the division.”