SUPER MAC Rafa’s efforts give Toon best chance to stay in world’s hardest league

I’M glad Huddersfield Town won promotion to the Premier League in the play-offs – because it means one relegation place next season is almost certainly filled.

I know that’s savage but the Premier League is unforgiving. Dog eats dog.

Two clubs promoted a year ago – Middlesbrough and Hull City – have been immediately relegated, which is a warning to Newcastle, Brighton and Huddersfield.

I think United will have enough to avoid such a catastrophe, but Huddersfield simply won’t be able to compete wages wise with their PL rivals to give them a good chance of survival.

They are the first ever club to be promoted to the top flight with a negative goal difference and that tells you everything.

They don’t score often enough and goalscorers are the dearest people in the transfer market.

Theirs is unquestionably a fairy story and their manager David Wagner deserves every bit of praise going, but once the Premier League kicks off all that will be forgotten.

I’m looking at Burnley and Watford to go on the journey as well, though I’m worried for Chris Hughton at Brighton. I’d love him to stay up but it’ll be tough.

Rafa Benitez knows how tough it will be which is why he’s doing so much work so early behind the scenes in the transfer market.

Make no mistake, United are literally in another league from August onwards. For me, it is the toughest in the world.

The top seven stand apart as the elite. In the season just ended, only the seven leaders had a positive goal difference. Southampton in eighth were minus seven and all those below them were minus too.

That’s how elite the top of the table is yet long term United must aim to be an Everton at least.

The pressure at the top is almost unbearable. Arsene Wenger has signed a new two-year contract at Arsenal and has been told he must win the Premier League title during that period.

What an ultimatum for a guy for he spent his life bringing silverware to the Gunners. It means he’s under more pressure than Rafa come kick-off time.

For now United have to survive then build on that platform.

Their first target next season is to make the 40-point target Watford achieved in finishing fourth bottom. David Wagner needs praise for getting Huddersfield in to Premier League

I know people normally say 36 points is good enough but Hull went down with 34 and if they had won just one of their last few matches they would have reached 37 – and still gone down!

The work has already started at Newcastle who have sorted out a double deal with Chelsea, as Christian Atsu has signed permanently and Tammy Abraham hopefully will join him on a seasonlong loan. At least Rafa has reaped an early reward, but there must be bigger fish to come. I’m pleased United are nailing deals now because the sooner the better. There is no time to waste. A division down Sunderland and Middlesbrough don’t even have managers, let alone the capability to make signings. I believe United have the resources and the manager to bring about survival a lot easier than the likes of Huddersfield, Burnley who only stayed up on their home record, and Watford who seem in permanent turmoil.