Expectation: noun, a strong belief that something will happen or be the case.

It can also be used a barometer to decide success, or failure, progress, or stagnation.

For Rovers, last season was a second 15th-placed finish in three years, with an 11th in 2020/21 sandwiched in between. When Rovers were supposed to kick on, they digressed, at least in terms of finishing position.

When the Rovers squad return to training within the next week they will do so with a significantly smaller squad.

Since the final whistle went against Birmingham City on May 8, Rovers have said goodbye to their five loanees and also parted ways with six senior players. That is expected to be seven, with Harry Chapman’s deal ending next week.

The only new face will be Harry Pickering, though several other young players will be looking to force their way into Mowbray’s plans, not least Hayden Carter who impressed at Burton Albion.

With a smaller squad, and weaker one currently, what will be the expectation this time around?

Well, it’s still too early to say, Rovers aren’t alone in still waiting to add to their squad, and they have until September 2 to do so. If the last few windows are anything to go by, the business getting later and later.

As Tony Mowbray pointed out: “Others are right at the last minute, and generally that’s because players and their agents are trying to find the best possible deal for them and every player has got a different agenda whether it’s financial, geographical, the ambition of the club.”

Mowbray set the ambition and expectation last time, that was to be at least challenging for the top six, it felt like the natural progression, but Rovers fell away quite alarming just at the point as they looked to be moving into position.

In what looks an increasingly open Championship on very early assumption, the expectation is likely to be tempered among Rovers fans who will likely reserve judgement not least until the transfer business had been conducted.

And with good reason, with so many unanswered questions, not least the future of top scorer Adam Armstrong, the fitness of Daniel Ayala and injury returns of Scott Wharton and Bradley Dack, and that’s with just the current squad.

Yet it was after the summer transfer window in which Rovers had added proven Championship performers in Ayala, Barry Douglas and Tom Trybull alongside the exciting addition of Harvey Elliott that the expectation grew.

A fit-and-firing Armstrong would offer something of a safety net, a buffer to the real lower reaches of the Championship, but like so much of Rovers’ plans, they are up in the air.

Mowbray himself admits that the expectation will be set by the business Rovers do before the September 2 cut-off.

“At the end of the day everything is about expectation,” he said. “If you’ve got a talented young team who need to grow, the expectation should be less than if you’ve spent £100m.”

So far, the summer has been about deciding which of last season’s squad will be part of Mowbray’s ongoing journey.

Bradley Johnson was kept on, but few others, an indication of finances as much as where he wanted to take his squad.

Mowbray has never wanted to work with an overly big group, last season’s as bloated as he’s had during any of his tenure.

The challenge will be to add to his ranks, as well as get more out of those who either haven’t hit the heights expected, or have more growth in them.