Throughout the course of the last two seasons, Rovers have generally gone with a 4-2-3-1 formation, with two holding midfielders and Bradley Dack playing behind Danny Graham.

Rovers’ main source of goals have come from that pair, with what Mowbray calls a ‘wide striker’ on one flank also chipping in, as well as the set plays from Charlie Mulgrew.

Not for some time have Rovers had a goalscoring central midfielder, with Harrison Reed on three this season, though two of those have come while playing out wide.

Corry Evans and Richie Smallwood are yet to open their accounts this season, while Lewis Travis is still waiting for his first goal for the club.

Mowbray admits the trend of a 4-3-3 system is now allowing for the return of goalscoring midfielders, a system he has played just twice this season, against Sheffield United and Reading away, and neither when top scorer Dack has started.

But believing it could be a formation he uses going forward, depending upon the personnel that arrives this summer, the boss explained: “The system we have played mainly for two years, we’ve had Dack and Graham as our main goalscorers and then hoped the wide players will chip in with goals.

“Armstrong has done that, he’s got eight in all competitions, he’s done fine for a young boy in his early 20s, but as we develop this football club and move it on we’ve talked about potentially we’ve talked about different systems and we could look at playing with one sitting midfielder who would have to be mobile and good on the ball and wants to play on the ball and feed the four or five players who are playing in front of him.

“It’s difficult to change mid-season when you have drilled the same things in to them for two seasons, and do it overnight.”

Aston Villa pair Jack Grealish and John McGinn caused Rovers problems last weekend, with Elliott Bennett moving inside to partner Travis on that occasion.

“If anything those days are coming back. Everyone nowadays seems to be playing one sitting midfielder and then two number eights, if you want to use that expression, rather than us with a No.10 of Dack playing behind the striker,” Mowbray added.

“His job is to get in between the lines of the opposition midfield and defence.

“Every team now seems to play two eights, rather than one eight and a 10, Dele Alli and Ross Barkley did it over the last couple of games.

“I think their jobs will be to score goals, and whatever formation, some people call it 4-3-3, some call it 4-1-4-1, people who play central, their job is to get in the box.

“That’s what we played against last weekend in McGinn and Grealish. They left Whelan behind them to feed the ball in to them, or out wide.

“Those players have to score goals, otherwise you are cutting down your options of goals.”

Rovers have gone with a back three at times, though Mowbray admits much of that was down to a shortage of central defenders last month. And he believes at this level, it can be a difficult system to play given the quality of opposition.

“We’ve played with a back three, mainly for personnel reasons,” he said.

“Generally when we have started with a three we have moved to a four before the end of the game because I feel the best teams pick holes in a back three, the better teams in this league.

“Last year we could do it, but this year there are teams with better individuals who can pick holes in you.

“I saw Southgate talk about why he had changed and he said it was because he felt the better international teams, like Croatia in the World Cup semi-final, could pick holes in it.

“We’ve stuck with 4-2-3-1 but moving forward, depending on the players we sign and the players we have we will look to find the right balance and see if we can move it forward.”