The Legends begin a weekly column in Northern Echo Sport, giving their forthright opinions on the North-East's big three football clubs. With the turmoil at Newcastle United, Middlesbrough settling into life in the Championship and hopes high of good times at Sunderland, Malcolm, Bernie and Micky have plenty to say - as always.

How optimistic are you about your team's prospects?

MALCOLM: I'm not. The state of the club is just an absolute shambles.When there are great troubles in the boardroom like there are, those fly down the stairs into the dressing room and there will be no confidence in there whatsoever. They will be seriously questioning everything that happens, just as I am and the rest of the fans are.

BERNIE: I'm hoping a few new faces arrive in the weeks ahead, but I'm not overly excited about Boro's prospects.We've lost Stewart Downing who will be a big miss, but I just don't think the squad is in good enough shape at this stage. We need a few new players and then I will have to think again.

MICKY: I'm very excited about what Sunderland are capable of producing this season and we've got the chairman Niall Quinn to thank for bringing Ellis Short on board. The club now has a solid financial platform to build something very special.

What do you think of the summer transfer business?

MALCOLM: It has been pretty much non-existent. Oba Martins leaving has at least put money into the club, so talk of administration is clearly premature. I just can't believe we have such conversations about Newcastle United.

BERNIE: There hasn't been enough of it to be honest. I'm happy with Mark Yeates because from what I gather he has a decent right foot and is capable of playing in a few positions. But the signing of Danny Coyne has not really done much for me. Leroy Lita can give his career the kick start it needs and hopefully he will achieve things at Boro.

MICKY: Sunderland can bring in a level of player they wouldn't have dreamed of getting a few years ago. None of us know too much about Lorik Cana or Paulo da Silva but Fraizer Campbell is a great prospect. Time will tell if any of them have the quality to make it in this division. I hope Darren Bent can recapture the form he showed a few years ago.

Who is the key player likely to be?

MALCOLM: That has to be Steve Harper. The way the game is played in the Championship he will have to be at his best. He will be bombarded with crosses and shots and whether he can cope will decide many of Newcastle's results.

BERNIE: Adam Johnson is the obvious choice. After losing Stewy Downing, who has been the king pin for a few years, the creative man and an almost ever present, we need to be able to turn to someone new. Adam is a left footed player, capable of slotting in and he's exciting. He could be our new king pin.

MICKY: Kenwyne is still the main man. If his mind is right he can be a superstar of the Premier League. I was arguing with Malcolm and Bernie the other day that Kenwyne's goals kept us up last season. I don't know if he wasn't fully fit last year or Djibril Cisse got him in a bad frame of mind but he was a bit off the boil but he was still our top scorer.

Which players concern you going into the season?

MALCOLM: Everyone who plays against Newcastle. It's the attitude and way the other teams will play in the Championship that worries me. They might not have the fine arts that the players possess in the Premier League, but these players make good livings because they scrap and run until the last. That's what Newcastle will have to be prepared for.

BERNIE: My concerns are in midfield and up front. I'm a fan of Julio Arca but he has fallen away in the last couple of years so there have to be question marks. There are also question marks about Didier Digard, who is a good footballer but he has not played enough games. Matthew Bates is a big loss.

MICKY: I'm not happy with either of our left backs. You need attacking full backs - like Glen Johnson at Liverpool. I'm worried Collins and McCartney can't bomb forward to give Kenwyne service.

How confident are you in the manager's capabilities?

MALCOLM: I have no confidence in Chris Hughton as a manager. There's no manager. There doesn't look like being one. It's so farcical and not even the players can take pre-match talks and tactics seriously.

BERNIE: Gareth has a lot to prove and he is hanging by a thread. He must get things right and if he doesn't then his head will be on the block. He knows that he needs to get a good start or else.

MICKY: I've been impressed with Steve Bruce. For the first hour at Celtic they were out of this world. He's a proper manager - takes no nonsense from players and has a proven track record in the transfer market. He has a great network of contacts and that could be vital.

What position do you think your team will finish in this season?

MALCOLM: Success for Newcastle will be mid-table. I'm not expecting anything good out of this season. The goings-on will exert far too much pressure on everyone. It's an absolute disgrace what is happening.

BERNIE: As things stand I think we will finish seventh. A few more signings and there is a possibility that we will finish higher.

MICKY: I'd like us to finish top six but realistically I expect around tenth place.