Tony Mowbray believes Rovers are still a work in progress as he looks to evolve their style of play.

And in doing so, the boss believes they will be able to move away from the reliance on physical striker Danny Graham.

Rovers have found it hard going without the experienced Graham, who has started 13 of their 18 Championship fixtures.

Adam Armstrong, whose preferred role would be as a central striker, has been utilised mainly on a left-sided attacking role thus far.

And when asked if the 21-year-old would be considered for a more central role, Mowbray said: “I think that’s a work in progress.

“The work has started, we’ve started to try and become a different team.

“We need to be able to build the ball up in to the final third rather than hitting long diagonals on to Danny Graham.

“When we become better at building up and working our passing movements through the team then we can have a more speedy, darty striker who’s the focal point of the team at the top end of the pitch.

“At this moment in time we are not at that level, the work hasn’t been done and this is a team in transition.”

Forward Dominic Samuel is out for the season with a knee injury which has placed a reliance on 33-year-old Graham who came off the bench to score at Preston and could be recalled tonight.

Mowbray added: “In League One we pressed every team really high, but in this league playing against players who can play through, round, or over that you have to be careful of being a team that only plays one way.

“We’re trying to develop that but as you develop it you can have some teething problems.

“We will go back to what we have done at some stage because it’s been successful and works for us, but I’m hoping as we move on we can be a team that plays several different ways.

“When the game needs to be ball retention and build up then we can do that, or there’s a weakness in the opposition and we need to go direct we can do that.

“As I’ve said all along we will play different formations because the principles we’ve established won’t change.

“The players believe in what we do and how we play and it won’t affect them if we get positive or negative results because the journey we are on they understand how we play and what we do.”

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