Derby assistant boss Stan Ternent already knows the Rams will be viewed as a scalp on their return to the Championship next season.Boss Paul Jewell's side are destined to drop out of the Premier League after a season, with the club having won just one of 30 matches, leaving them currently 17 points adrift of safety.

Preparations are already under way for next season, which is why Derby will almost certainly be installed as one of the favourites for promotion.

That in itself will add its own pressure as Derby will become a team all the others in the Championship will want to beat.

"Paul and I will be judged more next season because of the level of expectation as many people will expect us to go straight back up, but not many do," said Ternent.

"I've no doubt we will be installed as one of the favourites, and we have to rise to that challenge, one we will need to embrace rather than be frightened of.

"The players will have to be on their mettle because we will be classed as a scalp, with teams likely to come to Pride Park and play above themselves.

"The players will have to be aware of that and be able to cope with it, although hopefully my past experience at Burnley will help, and we will be fully prepared.

"At least we have a headstart, because without being defeatist, our fate is more or less decided.

"I don't like to single out teams, but look at Sunderland and Roy Keane who has spent £40million.

"At this moment in time he doesn't know if he is going to be in the Premier League or Championship."

Although it would appear Derby have little left to play for other than pride, they do have one overriding target, and that is to avoid being labelled the worst team in Premier League history.

The Rams need another six points to overhaul Sunderland's record-low points tally of 15 set at the end of the 2005-06 campaign.

"It's nice to be remembered in football, but for all the right reasons," added Ternent.

"So our ambition is to get past the 15-point mark, otherwise our name will be up in lights forever. That's our incentive.

"It's ridiculous, but that's how it is. We don't want to be remembered as the team with the least number of Premier League points."

If Derby can perform to the level they displayed in Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to Manchester United they should reach their target.

However, the reason why the club are rooted to the foot of the table is because for the majority of the season they have been unable to scale the heights they achieved against United.

Appreciably, Ternent is looking for a repeat in Saturday's game with Middlesbrough at the Riverside.

"Hopefully the players can play with the same spirit and attitude they showed against United, and they continue to enjoy themselves because they did enjoy it," said Ternent.

"Even though they lost, they felt a lot better about themselves, and this week they have looked good in training. Now they have to carry it over into the game with Boro."

Alan Stubbs and Stephen Pearson remain sidelined with calf and stomach injuries respectively, with the latter likely to require a scan.

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