TONY Mowbray wants this to be the lowest ebb in Blackburn Rovers’ history as he targets a reversal of fortunes at Ewood Park.

Rovers will be playing third tier football for the first time in 37 years next season following relegation from the Championship.

Mowbray is the eighth different manager at Rovers since owners Venky’s took control of the club in November 2010.

And the head coach is targeting a Rovers revival after admitting he doesn’t simply want to be another name on the club’s managerial list.

“I have talked about reversing the trend,” Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“I don’t just want to be a manager on the list of managers under the ownership and they continue to go down the leagues but at some stage turn it around and go back up the leagues.

“Hopefully this is the turning point and the lowest this club ever gets and we can push on and be successful and build a team that will make the fans proud of the lads that are running around on that pitch for them.

“I think it (promotion) is pretty important, that has to be aim.

“We won’t think of anything else other than winning games and being at the top end of the table.”

Mowbray couldn’t save Rovers from relegation in his 15 games in charge after taking over in February, despite losing just three times and collecting 22 points.

He travelled to India to meet with owners Venky’s in the wake of dropping in to League One having had a break clause in his previous deal at the end of last season.

Positive talks with the owners persuaded Mowbray to continue as head coach, and he signed a fresh two year deal last month.

Mowbray sought assurances from the Rao family before committing his future, which included having money to spend on new signings.

Rovers have already paid transfer fees on bringing in Bradley Dack and Ben Gladwin from Gillingham and QPR respectively, while the club have also tabled offers for striking targets. 

Of his meetings with the owners, Mowbray added: “I went to India and sat down and had some good conversations across the table with them.

“You have heard me say this before, and the supporters might not like it, but when I came here what I found when I spoke to the owners was some pretty humble people.

“There’s an image created, but when I sat down I spoke to some nice human beings and actions speak louder than words of course.

“We’ve spent some money and bought some players, but we have got to try and get out of this league.

“I would like to make Blackburn Rovers successful again.”

Meanwhile suggestions that Rovers are about to sign Cardiff City striker Rickie Lambert are understood to be wide of the mark.

The 35-year-old former England international had been linked with a move to Ewood Park having been told he is free to leave the Bluebirds this summer.

ROVERS target Tony McMahon has signed a new one-year deal to stay at Bradford City.

The 31-year-old was understood to be a target for Rovers, but he will now remain with the Bantams after penning a one year contract extension.

McMahon, who joined Bradford in 2015, had previously worked with Mowbray during their time at Middlesbrough.

The full-back revealed he had offers from three clubs, but said of Bradford: ‘They wanted me here, they showed that from the start…and they wanted me more than others and that’s why I re-signed.”

Rovers could now turn their attentions to free agent Paul Caddis who has been training with the squad since they returned to Brockhall last week.