DIRECTOR of rugby Gary Gold admits Worcester Warriors are “one of the favourites” to get relegated from the Aviva Premiership but believes they can finish “comfortably” clear of the drop zone.

Warriors faced a battle for survival last term before finishing second from bottom 13 points above demoted Bristol.

And according to several bookmakers Gold’s men are the least likely to win the league at 500/1, tipping newly-promoted London Irish to make a stronger title challenge at 250/1.

Following the arrival of Gold in late January Worcester’s performances improved as they defeated Saracens, Bristol and Bath.

This upturn in form as well as a number of new signings, including David Denton and Peter Stringer, have increased optimism among supporters.

But Gold insists he does not want to “over-promise and under-deliver” as the Sixways side prepare for the new season which starts with a trip to Newcastle Falcons on Friday, September 1.

“Our first goal would be to try to improve on the way we finished last season and to really give ourselves a fighting chance against every team we play,” Gold said.

“There’s definitely no fanfare that is going to be made about where we hope to end up.

“Realistically speaking we want to be a club who are competitive enough that we are not in a relegation battle.

“As an optimist I hope that looks like we are a highly-competitive club against the other 11 clubs.

“If we can improve on our accuracy and our work-rate that we had last year maybe one of those games where we lost by two or three points would go our way and then hopefully it will be a different season for us.

“But I am certainly not going to over-promise and under-deliver.

“At this stage it might not be a popular view but we are one of the favourites to be in the relegation zone and we would like to avoid that comfortably.”

Despite bouncing back at the first opportunity London Irish are being tipped to go straight back down.

But Gold has praised the Exiles for handling relegation “really well” and believes there will be no push-overs this campaign.

“I have been in the Premiership years before where people have said it was possibly the toughest season yet,” Gold said.

“London Irish handled relegation really well. They ran very efficiently as a professional outfit (in the Championship) and that’s meant that their return to the Premiership is going to be seamless like Northampton’s, Harlequins’ and Exeter’s.

“That’s going to mean the Premiership is going to be a hard and a very toughly-fought competition this year.

“I say this because there are no late arrivals with London Irish and they are not scurrying around to put a squad together.

“If they were you know there might be potential for them to be the whipping boys.

“But I think London Irish are going to be very competitive so we know exactly how tough the task is that lies ahead.

“We need to go in there with our eyes wide open and be as best prepared as we can be.”