Rovers have embraced their tag as promotion favourites and it hasn’t been something that brought fear to boss Tony Mowbray.

Keeping hold of their key men, as well as the additions of the likes of Bradley Dack, saw Rovers installed as favourites to win promotion this term.

But they endured a difficult start, losing four of their opening 11 matches as they slipped behind the promotion pace.

However, a run of just one defeat in 33 matches culminated in promotion at Doncaster Rovers and an immediate return to the Championship.

On being favourites, Mowbray said: “I’ve never had a fear of that.

“I’ve managed clubs where I have moaned after games in offices and said ‘your budget is three times ours’ so it’s nice to have that pressure of being a big club.

“I’d rather have that pressure and have good players and try and win football matches than not have any good players and try and punch above your weight.

“The Championship will be tough next season. If Southampton, Stoke and West Bromwich Albion come down from the Premier League, they’re the bottom three at the moment, then their budgets will be £60-£70m and they have Premier League players who have been there for six or seven years.

“These lads have come up from League One – the games will be tough. We have to give ourselves a chance next year and that’s what I will discuss with the owners.

“If we can find this same spirit with the new signings, make sure they are good human beings that galvanise with the current group then we will have a chance.”

Rovers had trailed both Wigan and Shrewsbury by 12 points earlier in the season, but they are now just one point behind the Latics, and seven ahead of the Shrews, with two games remaining.

Mowbray has previously said not achieving promotion from League One this season would be a failure, and he has always maintained faith in this group of players.

He added: “Football management is a strange one, sometimes you can make a wrong turn in your career.

“I’ve made maybe two decisions in my football life for emotional reasons and they were probably the wrong reasons at the time.

“But I have had every faith that I know how to run a football club and get inside footballers, I know what makes them tick.

“You have to give them words at times and a cause to fight for.

“I could see that they were a good set of lads. We had one problem at this football club when I came in but we managed to eradicate it.

“The group galvanised and after the unrest of the early season, three international breaks, 12 new players, a new team, after that the stats are there, one defeat in 33 games.

“It’s unfair to say ‘oh well, it’s Blackburn Rovers in League One’ because you cut your cloth accordingly. We’re a League One club and this group of players deserve great credit to go on a run like this.

“They should be lauded for what they have done. They know next season will be tougher and we’re going to have to step up to try and win football matches next year.”