A week is a long time in football, we all know that.

Only four days ago, Jon Dahl Tomasson was bemoaning the lack of experience and depth in his squad after a 2-2 draw at home to Rotherham United had extended Blackburn Rovers' form to one win in eight.

The head coach had merit to his argument as he pleaded with the hierarchy to bring in more players. His message was direct and pointed.

So the decision to loan out club captain Lewis Travis in the same working week is quite jarring to everyone connected with Blackburn Rovers. From supporters to media, it's a head-scratcher.

READ MORE: Rovers sanction Lewis Travis loan deal

The 26-year-old, with just shy of 200 league appearances for the club, will spend the rest of the season at Ipswich Town. Understandably, the news has gone down like a lead balloon with the fans.

With the squad so thin on the ground for numbers and experience, this decision will take some explaining. Ultimately, there is no smoke without fire and rumours have been circulating for a few weeks about Travis' future.

No club would ever loan out their skipper five days into the January transfer window if everything was harmonious behind the scenes.

The Lancashire Telegraph understands that Travis has reluctantly accepted a move away from Ewood Park for the good of his career, considering his lack of game time.

The 26-year-old didn't start any of the matches over the busy festive period and has completed 90 minutes once since November 10. 

Travis hasn't started a Championship match in central midfield since October the first, a 4-1 home defeat to Leicester City. Since, he's been used as a substitute or to fill in for injuries and suspensions at full-back.

So game time is a huge driver for this move. Travis is not the type of personality to sit on the bench and be happy.

That is partly why Rovers have sanctioned the deal too. The captain holds a great deal of weight in the dressing room and having an unhappy figure around the camp isn't beneficial for either party.

Removing his wages from the books could also open the door for more wiggle room in the January window. If Tomasson isn't using him, the player is unhappy and the club need to balance the books, they'd argue it's the right move.

However, considering Rovers had a bid on the table from Millwall in the summer, albeit a very flimsy 800K, loaning him out isn't a great look. There was also interest from Major League Soccer side Atlanta whilst Luton Town were linked in the summer.

Another source of friction between Tomasson and Travis has been his position in midfield. The captain hasn't been used in the holding role that he excelled in under Tony Mowbray. Instead, Travis has been used as an advanced number eight which has looked clunky, at times. 

Whilst the midfielder has improved on his offensive side of the game, anyone can see that it hasn't brought the best out of his skill set. Travis best qualities are the defensive side of the game, adding energy, tenacity and tough-tackling at the base of midfield.

Sources claim that Travis has sought answers from Tomasson about his role in the midfield but to no avail. A lack of opportunity to showcase his ability in holding midfield, both in competitive matches and internal games, is another factor in this move away.

At Ipswich, Travis will operate in his natural role, with Kieran McKenna playing a 4-2-3-1 which is better suited to the midfielder. The argument for Blackburn fans will be that if he's good enough for the team sat second in the division, he should be good enough for Rovers.

Tomasson may argue that the captain hasn't shown the desired qualities in possession to play as his single pivot. It's a role Adam Wharton has occupied when the two have played together, with Wharton particularly impressive at receiving the ball under pressure and playing through the lines.

Sondre Tronstad has occupied that role since coming into the team at Queens Park Rangers. He has been in excellent form since he broke into the side and it's allowed Wharton to play further forward, where he is more effective.

Simply put, there is an argument that Travis just didn't suit Tomasson's style of football.

Until December, there were no real cries for Travis to come back in. But a run of one win in eight has changed the mood in the fan base. 

At Huddersfield, particularly, there was a complete lack of fight. Rovers didn't, and perhaps couldn't, dig in and stay in the game, against a side with far inferior talent.

The team has been accused of being too soft during this period. The goals conceded column is alarming and needs to be rectified. 

It's impossible to argue that Rovers are a stronger squad, at the time of writing, without Travis, for those reasons, if nothing else. In what is already a difficult transfer window, this has added an immense amount of pressure.

Rovers must now replace Travis as well as address the other obvious areas that need bolstering in the squad. Incomings are expected this month but the financial landscape at the club has not dramatically altered since the summer.

We're five days into the window and the pressure is on. Strap in, it could be a bumpy ride.