Tony Mowbray believes challenging for promotion from the Championship, even with the ‘phenomenal’ financial support of owners Venky’s is difficult, but not impossible.

Venky’s London Limited posted losses of £20.8m bankrolling Rovers in the year to March 2020, with amounts invested, and loaned, to the club totalling £175m, yet they remain mid-table in the Championship.

The influence of parachute payments on the division will only grow stronger, according to Mowbray, who says he is keen to reward the owners for their financial support with success on the pitch.

He believes the Rao family, owners since November 2010, understand the position the club finds itself, and has stressed that building an identity is key to challenging.

“The way they support this football club is quite phenomenal, I’m trying to say that it’s difficult to get out of this league with the teams that are in it, and even with their investment, it’s still difficult to get out of this league,” Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“Do they understand that? I think so.

“I’m not a financial person, but the numbers are there, you see the numbers and budgets and the bills they pay.

“It’s difficult, but you have to find a cohesion to your team.  That’s the picture I’m trying to paint, it’s difficult, but not impossible. As long as the owners have an expectation of where we are as a football team in this division.”

The influence of foreign ownership on the game has been highlighted by talks of a breakaway European Super League, but Mowbray says Venky’s continue back the club with the right intentions.

Mowbray will hold talks with the owners once this season is over to discuss the next steps for the club.

Despite the manager holding an ambition of challenging for promotion, Rovers have fallen away in the second half of the season for a third successive year, and sit 15th ahead of tonight’s trip to Sheffield Wednesday.

He added: “Whenever talk about the owners there’s no influence on me, I judge people, I think I’m a pretty transparent guy and I say as it see it. I find the owners humble, honourable people.

“I would just like to try and bring some success for the humility they have shown whenever I have met them. I see the figures they invest in this team and this club and I would like some success for them.

“It’s very difficult to do that, as I’ve said there will be three teams coming down with £100m budgets probably, it’s very hard and becoming harder because of the finances at the top end of the Premier League and how parachute payments affect the Championship.

“The owners are good people, they invest a lot of money in this club, I would personally like to give them a team that can genuinely compete.

“It’s difficult, but that’s why I talk about giving the club a real identity, recruit players to the identity of how we want to play, rather than some weeks boot it long, others dominate possession, yes every team has to be flexible, but give them a real identity and recruit players that can help you win matches consistently.

“The owners understand that, I repeat that when I meet the owners, I’ve met them four or five teams, I only have positive things to say.”