TONY Mowbray believes his team will be the better side most weeks in the Championship next season - but insisted: "There will be no easy matches."

The Hawthorns boss was speaking after today's goalless draw at Blackburn, which brought the curtain down on Albion's relegation from the Barclays Premier League.

The Baggies will have big-hitting North-East duo Middlesbrough and Newcastle for company next term in an already competitive division.

But Mowbray has urged his troops to remain confident - without being complacent - about their chances of bouncing straight back.

He said: "The Championship is always competitive - it's a league of attrition.

"There are so many games and you have to get up for every one.

"We were there only last season so we know what it takes.

"You've got to be ready for every game. There are no easy matches.

"If you don't compete in the Championship, you'll get beat.

"We hope we have the qualities, just as I'm sure the other two teams coming down will hope they have the extra quality for the league.

"But, as we've found in the past, the extra quality doesn't always get you there.

"Sometimes, the extra organisation of the teams, spirit of the opposition and the fact you're a big scalp can make a difference and you lose games.

"If Newcastle, for instance, decide to keep Michael Owen, Mark Viduka and all their other players, then I would suggest their quality is going to hurt the league.

"There won't be any easy games for them though.

"Let's wait and see. I don't know if Newcastle can sustain those sort of players in the league they're going into.

"I don't know how much money their benefactor has got and how much they're willing to gamble on it.

"I think you've got to be pragmatic about it.

"It's a very, very hard league.

"We lost 11 games last season when we won the Championship.

"It's very tough.

"How confident am I?

"I would hope we can keep all the players we want this summer and go into it believing we are better than the opposition most weeks.

"But having better players than the opposition doesn't guarantee you're going to win the game, as today showed me.

"I thought we were the better team at Blackburn but didn't win the game.

"You've got to earn those three points every week.

"But we've got to go into the season believing we're going to be strong and confident we can bounce back."

The Baggies have been found wanting at both ends of the pitch this season but Mowbray is hoping their quality will tell in the Championship.

"We need to add more goals and clean sheets," he added.

"Good players win football matches as long as they have a desire, passion and commitment to the job.

"Let's wait and see if we keep Marc-Antoine Fortune, who I thought had a fantastic game today apart from not scoring a goal.

"If he goes into the Championship, will he get more chances and score 25 goals? Let's hope so.

"Juan Carlos Menseguez looks a quality player as well.

"I believe we'll be the better side most weeks but there is no guarantee you win football matches by the amount of possession of the ball you have."

The players will report to the Baggies' training ground tomorrow at 9am to pick up their summer fitness programmes.

And Mowbray will put this season to bed by giving every individual the chance to air their views to him.