BULLISH Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray believes he can see enough positive light through the cloud of despair on Teesside to bring the glory days back to the Riverside.

The Boro boss says he is confident he can lead his beloved club to the heights, which made them one of the most successful sides since the inauguration of the Premier League in 1992, if he is given time.

The club has won a Carling Cup; appeared in three further domestic cup finals; reached a UEFA Cup final and achieved unprecedented European qualification through a league position in less than 15 years.

In essence, Middlesbrough have recorded more success in that short time scale than in any time during its previous 135 years.

The Teessiders have had their fair share of lows in that same period, and few as bad as what they are going through now, following relegation two seasons ago.

But Mowbray is convinced he can get the club back to repeating those heady European nights at the Riverside and cup final days at Wembley once he has steadied the Boro ship.

“The club have a target to get back to where they’ve been,” said the 47-year-old.

“And where have they been?

They have been to a UEFA Cup final only four years ago. We have been to numerous cup finals, Carling Cup and FA Cup, only ten years ago. That is what were aiming for. To get the stadium full again and winning.”

Mowbray accepts Boro are still a long way from challenging for Europe or having a team strong enough to reach a cup final and says it will take some patience from the supporters. But in the meantime, the former Boro skipper made it known he wants to follow the paradigm set by his former club West Brom.

“We’ve fallen quite quickly and when you’re climbing back it always takes a little longer,” admitted Mowbray.

“We’re trying to solidify and build a foundation again. First and foremost we want to get the club back in the Premier League and try and stabilise the club there, which isn’t easy as every promoted club finds.

“Everyone says how well West Brom did, but it is never easy when you go back up. That is the target for us.

But the more Premier League teams that come down the longer it takes to get back up.

“Teams are now learning more about relegation clauses on contracts and flexing up and down on the whole football budget. It will give them a stronger chance of getting out of the Championship; as opposed to this club who have to sell and off-load Premier League salaries and overheads.

“When I was manager of West Brom, when we got relegated we were very strong because the salaries were reduced; we didn’t have to sell them. Then we had Premier League players playing in the Championship who were desperate to get back there. It gave us a real chance at West Brom.

“The goal for us is to get up and stay there instead of being a yo-yo club.

“Obviously it is going to be a few years yet. It’s even harder to break into the top four, look at how much Tottenham spent to get there. Man City are having to do that as well.”

It may seem like a pipe dream at the moment, but Mowbray is positive the club is on the road to recovery.

He added: “I can see some signs that we are trying to turn that corner. The negatives are that we’ve lost (David) Wheater and (Gary) O’Neil. Before that it was Tuncay and (Robert) Huth.

And we still have some salaries that are unsustainable, so there will still be some changes to come down the road. As soon as we can get back to the point where we can build again, we will.”

Former Boro striker Danny Graham is set to join Swansea City after his club, Watford, accepted a record fee believed to be in the region of £3.5m.