Relegation Reality

AFTER ELEVEN consecutive seasons in the top flight – which yielded our first major trophy, highest-ever Premier League finish and an appearance in a showpiece Europen final – adjusting to life as a fan of a Championship club was always going to be hard to stomach.

First came the fixture list – believe me, Old Trafford, The Emirates and even Fratton Park couldn't seem much further away when you're handed a Tuesday evening trip to Scunthorpe's Glanford Park in the second week of the new season.

Then there was the inevitable round of transfer rumours linking our big names with moves away from Teesside: Pogatetz to Roma; Huth to the Bundesliga; Tuncay to Fulham; O'Neil to Stoke; Alaidiere to Birmingham; Mido to Sunderland (if we can find him, I’ll drive him there myself), and Alves to… well, we can pray.

Though worryingly, from a financial perspective, home-grown sub-stopper Ross Turnbull has been the only major departure of the pre-season on a free to Chelsea. It is a telling mark of our dour 2008/09 campaign that Stewart Downing – who is out of action until at least October – is the only star to have attracted a serious offer as yet.

New signings Mark Yeates and Danny Coyne with manager Gareth Southgate

However, the lack of movement away from the Riverside is nowhere near as concerning as the second-rate journeymen who are being touted as possible replacements. Though in fairness to Gareth Southgate, he has made two solid signings.

Young winger Mark Yeates looks like a good squad acquisition at Championship level and will finally give us a natural option on the right side of midfield – something we have lacked since James Morrison was sold to West Brom two years ago. Meanwhile, 35-year-old Danny Coyne will offer much-needed experience in the goalkeeping department and will hopefully impress enough to oust the calamitous Brad Jones from the number-one-spot.

But talk of Southgate tracking free agent Danny Webber along with Hull’s bit-part midfielder Bryan Hughes is a little more difficult to understand. Webber was in and out of the first team at Championship rivals Sheff Utd last season and netted only six times in 41 league and cup appearances. And while Hughes may offer a wise head in the middle of the park, he managed just one Premier League appearance for The Tigers as they narrowly escaped relegation.

Alas, for the season ahead, I have no idea what to expect. The boss told reporters earlier this week that we need to score two goals a game to win automatic promotion - an ambitious target for a side which only managed to do so in six of their 38 league games last time out. And with no takers for the shot-shy Alves and AWOL Mido, I'd probably settle for scraping a play-off place if it was offered to me now.