JONATHAN Greening believes fellow relegated clubs Newcastle and Middlesbrough will start next season as favourites for automatic promotion - but insists Albion will give them a run for their money.

The former Boro midfielder skippered the Baggies to the Championship title last season.

And he is hoping to make a swift return to the Barclays Premier League after bowing out of the top flight with an encouraging goalless draw at Blackburn yesterday.

"It was always going to be a difficult game because we were already relegated," said Greening, who missed a glorious chance to pinch all three points against Rovers with a last-gasp header.

"The atmosphere for the retiring Tugay was good so we just tried to dictate the tempo on a hot day.

"I had a good chance at the end and Brunty had a volley which produced a great save, so we should have won it, really.

"There was nothing for us to play for other than pride and I thought we showed a lot of people that we are good enough to play Premier League football.

"We showed what a good team we are.

"With Newcastle and Boro coming down, next season will be interesting - especially because Newcastle are such a big club.

"I think Newcastle and Boro will be favourites to come back up.

"They have big players on big money so they start favourites.

"We just have to try and keep as many of our players as we can.

"If we do that, we can push on and do well next season.

"I don't think there will be any extra pressure on us.

"We will attack teams as we have this season and last.

"Hopefully, we will take the league by storm - as we did last year.

"The expectation doesn't change - we still want to come straight back up."

The 30-year-old midfielder was full of praise for Albion's near-3,000 travelling support who made the trip to Ewood Park knowing Albion were already down.

And he was amused by their final away-day theme as they paid tribute to the manager by donning Tony Mowbray masks.

Greening quipped: "I loved the masks - they were great!

"We had the super-heroes theme last year and now this.

"I signed a few gaffer face masks outside - but I was careful not to sign the real one!"