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Derby were confidently predicted to finish bottom of the pile last season in the top flight following promotion via the playoffs and they did not let anybody, except their own fans, down.

A record low tally of Premier League points was all they had to show from a thoroughly miserable season and while Sunderland, under Roy Keane, survived Birmingham found life with the big boys too tough to handle and also fell through the trap door.

In the first of a series of previews looking forward to the new season, I’ll start by assessing the chances of the three newly promoted teams.

West Bromwich Albion

Tony Mowbraw’s side eventually emerged from the Championship last season as title winners but my feeling throughout the campaign was that it was a particularly weak year in the second tier of English football and the fact that they dropped so many points is a concern.

The step up in class is immeasurable and for the first time in quite a while all three newly promoted sides head the betting to go straight back down.

The consensus last season was that Albion played by far and away the best football in the Championship and while it is true that other ‘footballing’ teams, like Reading a few seasons back, have found it easier to adapt than those with a more direct style I think Mowbray should have massive concerns defensively.

Marek Cech and Gianni Zuiverloon are two promising fullbacks, recruited from Porto and Heerenveen respectively, but proven quality looks thin on the ground and it is also asking an awful lot of the likes of Miller and Bednar to come up with enough goals to steer them to safety.

Luke Moore’s permanent signing hardly excites but securing the signature of Scott Carson was an excellent piece of business. Baggies fans will be hoping he is shielded better than Dean Kiely was last term but I find that difficult to imagine and a long season struggling to beat the drop awaits. Easily the best equipped of the three but life certainly won’t be easy.

Predicted finishing position: 17th

Stoke City

While City have been more active in the transfer market than West Brom, Tony Pullis certainly needed to strengthen in all areas and I’m not sure he has done a good enough job. Thomas Sorenson is a decent enough acquisition but Pullis has put all his goal scoring eggs in Dave Kitson’s basket and with only the likes of Ricardo Fuller and Richard Creswell to assist the former Royal I can see The Potters really finding it difficult to break teams down.

It looks as though the Stoke board have decided to see if Pullis can work his magic in the top flight without breaking the bank but year after year that tactic is shown to be ineffective and their best chance of survival will surely be based around being hard to beat.

Just nine losses last season was the fewest in the division but they too conceded plenty of goals, well over one per game, and Premier League forward lines will relish trips to the Britannia

Predicted finishing position: 20th

Hull City

The Tigers promotion last season was the stuff of fairytales and Hull, and their fans, seem intent on enjoying Premier League football this season.

Phil Brown did a marvellous job successfully negotiating his side through the lottery of the playoffs in May and while he has failed to bring in any players of real class he does, at least, have men on board with top flight experience.

Barmby and Windass are surely too far past their best to make an impact, although will be valuable squad members to have around, but Anthony Gardener and Geovanni are more than good enough to hold their own at this level and they also have a number of promising players in their ranks already.

‘Keeper Boaz Myhill and defender Michael Turner are ones to keep an eye on but that said they still look set to fall quite some way short and a swift return to the Championship awaits.

Predicted finishing position: 19th