Head coach Hodgson knows the expectation levels have been raised after 20 points in 12 games following his arrival in February saw Albion finish 11th in their first campaign back in the top flight. But he is aware of clubs failing to build on their initial taste of the Premier League with the likes of Ipswich, Reading and Hull recently relegated in their second campaigns. Hodgson said: "When you finish a season well, as we did, you are concerned about whether you can start where you left off. "Sometimes when things are going badly at the end of a season, you are pleased to see the end of it so you can start afresh. "We did have a very good run, only lost two of the last 12 league games which is a good record for any Premier League team. "We moved quite a few places up the table. As a result we have made a rod for our own back to some extent. People will expect more of us than had we avoided relegation on goal difference. "But I can't stop preaching the most important thing is our second year in the Premier League - and everyone knows that is notoriously the most dangerous year after being promoted." Hodgson added: "We have got to work very hard to make sure we stay in this league, continue to become a solid, reliable team and club and can then hope to build continually on a platform of success. "I don't really mind where we finish at this moment in time. I'd like, of course, to finish as high as possible but if we are still in the Premier League, I'll be pretty pleased. "I'm not playing down anything, I'm just trying to make sure people are realistic. "I think we've got a good team and I think we are capable of winning games. We could have a very good season. "But I want to make certain everybody understands what the main priority is. There can only be one priority - staying up." Striker Shane Long is poised to make his debut after moving from Reading in an initial £4.5 million deal - Albion's sixth signing of the summer. Hodgson believes the 24-year-old can eventually attain even greater heights in his career. He said: "You would expect to pay quite a lot of money for a player of Shane's quality and we are really delighted to have won the race for his signature. "It is well documented that we weren't alone in wanting him and we worked very hard to persuade him that the next step on his ladder should be West Brom. "We believe perhaps that he will go on to even bigger and better things. If that is the case, we can only wish him well. "But at the moment, we are looking forward to working with him here and him helping us to get some good results." Hodgson expects the Red Devils to again be major title contenders but is relishing rather than fearing the opening fixture of the campaign. He said: "The games against the champions of England are always the games you look forward to even though you know you've got a tough task on your hands in trying to get a positive result. "Rather than regret you've got to play the champions, you should say 'this is why we were trying to get into the Premier League, to play these games and test yourself against the best.' "They have had a fantastic pre-season, we know their confidence is very high, that they've signed good players. "They will be one of the major contenders, if not the major contender, to win the Premier League again."
