Tony Mowbray says coming out on the wrong side of tight games, such as the reverse fixture with Norwich in December, is the reason Rovers find themselves in the position they do.

Rovers have lost 16 matches this season, all but three by a one-goal margin, and were also knocked out of both cup competitions following 1-0 defeats, and they head to Carrow Road down in 15th place.

The stalemate with Bristol City in midweek was just a fifth point in the last 11 matches, contrasted to runaway leaders Norwich City who have won nine in a row.

A Teemu Pukki double at Ewood Park in December, the second seeing an Emi Buendia shot deflected off him, and beyond Thomas Kaminski, settled the game in the Canaries’ favour, a game Mowbray re-watched on Friday morning.

And he likened it to a number of other matches Rovers have played against the current top six sides, having been edged out in one-goal defeats to Reading, Brentford and Watford within their current winless run, when they also drew 1-1 with Swansea City.

“You could name another dozen games where we were very competitive against one of the top teams and came out the wrong side,” Mowbray said.

“The accumulation of all those puts us in the situation that we’re in really, answering negative questions on a daily basis on where we are, I understand it, but I do think the team’s performance level this season has generally been pretty strong.

“Norwich at home, was pretty strong. I watched it at 7am this morning, we played alright, and yet we lost 2-1 from a deflected shot.”

A lack of goals has been a concern for Rovers of late, just 13 in their previous 16 matches.

Mowbray doesn’t see patterns emerging in the way that Rovers are being edged out in matches, and is looking for the margins to go in their favour.

“We need more concentration, that you don’t concede a sloppy goal, that you miss a chance that otherwise you might score, it’s always the same in football,” he added.

“I see a team that’s working really hard, trying really hard, is in every single game.

“I don’t think any team has beaten us convincingly, I think this is a really tight league, tight division.

“We could have come out of the right side of a lot of these matches, that we haven’t.

“I don’t feel as though it’s a consistent way of how we’re getting beat every week. It’s not consistently that we’re losing a goal from a set play and losing 1-0.

“It’s not consistently that someone makes a decision in the box and the referee gives a penalty that could or couldn’t have been. I think it’s a lot of different ways.

“The games are all really tight, Swansea could have gone either way, was a draw, the games are tight.

“Is Norwich going to be any different? They’re looking for their 10th victory on the bounce, will they blow us away and score lots of goals on the day? They might do, but it might be another tight game and let’s see if we can win it 1-0 or 2-1.”