Tony Mowbray outlined 70 points as the minimum target for Rovers as he aims to raise expectation levels at Ewood Park.

Victory over Luton Town tomorrow would give Rovers their highest points total at this stage of a Championship season since relegation from the top-flight.

Rovers are bidding for a hat-trick of September wins and a fifth in seven games as they look to continue a promising run of form since opening the campaign with back-to-back defeats.

Mowbray knows nothing less than full focus will see them overcome the newly-promoted Hatters but has stated his intentions to build on last season’s haul of 60 points and a 15th placed finish.

And the boss is confident of further funding from owners Venky’s in January should the club be in a position to challenge for a top six spot in the second half of the campaign.

“I do think it’s a mentality state. We have to believe we can win every game at home, believe we will be competitive in every game away from home, and if teams aren’t right on the day then we’ll beat them and see where it takes us,” he said.

“The idea is to progress from last season, middle of the table with 60 points.

“Where are we aiming this year? Definitely in the 70 points, hopefully further, but let’s wait and see.

“We’re looking for progression and a mentality that we believe we’re going to be stronger this year and as the windows come, as I’ve said you judge if off transfer windows, we can try and strengthen again.

“If we’re in the top half of the table and threatening the top six around Christmas and the new year I can hopefully go to the owners and ask for some more help and that last little push to try and push us ultimately to where we want to be.

“We’ll look to do that bit by bit.”

Rovers brought in free agent midfielder Lewis Holtby last week and the German international made his debut in the win over Reading last weekend.

He was one of seven new faces that have strengthened the depth of Rovers’ squad which looks better placed to deal with the rigours of a 46-game Championship season. Mowbray is continually looking to progress and feels this group of players is an upgrade on the one which came out of League One.

“As we’ve spoken about, I think this team is stronger in depth and quality than the team that came out of League One,” he outlined.

“Hopefully we’re sat here in a year’s time thinking that team is so much stronger than the one we have now.

“Let’s hope that’s the case and if we do then we’ll have an expectation we’ll win most weekends and we’ll have an expectation we should win most games.

“You only do that by the quality of your players and the consistency of your performance levels and that’s what we’re striving for, improve the playing staff, the consistency of what you see every week.”

Rovers host a Luton side who were crowned League One champions in May and Mowbray knows all about bridging the gap from the third tier to the Championship. He never shied away from Rovers’ promotion favourites tag in 2017/18 but knows achieving the same in the Championship is a much more daunting task.

He said: “I’m not disrespecting League One, but I felt we had to, and would, get out of League One but the Championship is a different kettle of fish.

“But I’m trying to build a club so we can get that mentality so that everyone expects to get out of the Championship, but everyone at Leeds and all the other big clubs, Derby, Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest, they all expect that as well and are trying to do it. Some are trying with much bigger budgets than others, keeping their Premier League footballers to try and rebound quickly.”