Rovers conceded three, lost on the opening day and fielded a back four they could have some 31 months ago. Not much has changed, you would have thought. But that would depend on the perception you take.

Tony Mowbray said that should Rovers play like that then more often than not they would come away with a victory.

‘You won’t get many points from conceding three goals a game’ could be a reply, but then again, it’s not often that you would face the quality of strikes that Rovers did here.

Full back Jack Stacey and Arnaut Danjuma came up with timely strikes from distance to score their first goals for Bournemouth, either side of a calm finish from Jefferson Lerma.

Three times Thomas Kaminski was forced to pick the ball out of his net on his Rovers debut, but he was well protected for the most part, and showed his credentials with a stunning save from Dominic Solanke.
Going forward, there was more than enough evidence they will score goals.

There wasn’t the sole focus on possession that appeared to bog them down at times post-lockdown, instead a clear game-plan of pressing Bournemouth in to mistakes high up the pitch, with the feeling that will likely suit them better with the personnel available.

The downside was despite the positives that Rovers found a way to concede three goals in a game that took a while to come to the boil, often when they were on top.

Mowbray’s side have become something of the great entertainers, the final nine games post-lockdown producing 32 goals with 10 already in their two matches of 2020/21.

Rovers need at least one new central defender and a left back. Nothing new there, that was known before kick-off and hasn’t changed since. But despite three more goals shipped there couldn’t be much criticism directed in the way of the back four.

In the second half they enjoyed much the better of the play and at 2-2 there only seemed like one side who would go on to win it, something they threatened when Lewis Holtby turned home an Adam Armstrong cross-shot, only to be flagged offside. A marginal call to say the least.

They twice came from behind, and a third didn’t look beyond them, despite Danjouma’s eventual winner coming six minutes from time. Had substitute Corry Evans taken a shot on first time, rather than taken a touch to study himself as Amari’i Bell’s cross-shot landed at his feet, Rovers could have been talking about a well deserved point.

Despite the game ending as a five-goal thriller the opening stages were a cagey, low key affair, Bournemouth playing risk-free football and Rovers lacking tempo to their play.

Stacey’s 26th minute strike was something of a bolt out of the blue, Rovers unable to get out quickly enough to block his rasping drive which flew out of the reach of Kaminski and in to the net via the post.

The response from Rovers was a little while in the coming, rather than swift, but they didn’t deserve to trail at the break, a situation they avoided as Bradley Johnson’s long-range squirmed under the body of Travers, the pace of the strike doing for the Republic of Ireland international.

That came during Rovers’ best spell of the half, a Brereton burst down the left ending with him having a shot blocked, Lewis Holtby’s shot suffered the same fate moments before.

Rovers were out a good few minutes before the hosts for the second half, one they started strongly as Johnson flashed a shot wide of the near post.

A pattern Rovers need to get out of the habit of however is conceding when they’re on top. In the 53rd minute Johnson was too eager to try and win the ball, Solanke rolling the Rovers midfielder to tee up Lerma to stroke the ball home from the edge of the box.

Bournemouth tried to turn the screw, sensing their opportunity to put the game beyond Rovers, something they would have done were it not for the acrobatic Kaminski who kept out Solanke’s strike from 12 yards which looked destined for the back of the net.

While Rovers started the season short of the additions that would be required to make them contenders for a top six finish, it is a sign of his pre-season progress that untried teen Tyrhys Dolan was the first substitute he turned to.

Joe Rothwell too came on in place of Ben Brereton, with Joe Rankin-Costello also withdrawn, and it was a surprise the manager didn't considered the pair switching wings before their withdrawals.

Dolan's introduction, along with that of Rothwell, inspired Rovers to push forward, the pair involved as Armstrong shot over the bar when you would have expected him to at least hit the target.

He did much better than that with 17 minutes to play however, expertly controlling a Ryan Nyambe cross before steadying himself to roll a shot in to the corner in the fashion you’d expect from a man at the peak of his powers.

There was only one team pushing for a third as Rovers took the game to Bournemouth. But as will happen when trying to take risks in the attacking third, Dolan’s attempted dummy was read and Bournemouth attacked to devastating fashion as Danjuma curled home.

As a late chance for Evans went begging, so did Rovers’ hopes of equalising for a third time.

Defensive additions are needed, Rovers can’t expect to concede two and three goals a game and come out with three points, but those aren’t things they would have learned from these 90 minutes.

Mowbray knew that already, and was therefore right to point out the positives. Following Rovers this season is unlikely to be dull.