As he has gone about constructing a six-match unbeaten run since replacing Graeme Souness on a caretaker basis on 2 February, Roeder's popularity and reputation have mushroomed in a success-starved Toon, roughly on a par with the melting of his own earlier, firmly-stated resolve to return to his post of Newcastle's academy director when a new manager comes in.

Nolberto Solano, with three goals in the last two games, is one who has benefitted from the Roeder reshuffle of formation and tactics, and he is clear about his preference. "We hope [Roeder] will take the chance if it comes, " he said. "He is a great man, he is good to work with, he deserves it. Since he took over everybody starts to play very well, which is why the team looks more confident, more positive." Roeder has seemed reluctant to suffer a repeat of the shabby treatment he received at West Ham where, in the wake of relegation from the Premiership and a summer operation for a brain tumour, he was sacked a few weeks into the new season. But clearly managers, or managers like Roeder, are more resilient than we may think.

To start with, he bears no grudge. "You will not find one critical comment from me in the archives about West Ham. I took it on the chin, got on with my life."

Roeder is swift to acknowledge that when he returned last summer to a club where he had played with distinction to take over the running of the academy the thought of stepping up in the coaching hierarchy did not even cross his mind. "If someone had said by next February you will be managing Newcastle in a caretaker capacity when Alan Shearer breaks the goalscoring record I would have told him to go away."

Acknowledging his good fortune, Roeder paid tribute to the quality of player he has inherited, naming Shay Given, Solano, Emre and Scott Parker in particular.

"I knew they were good, but not how good. I worked with a couple of squads at West Ham where there were one or two unsavoury characters. Here they are all good guys." And if that new manager should not be Glenn Roeder but an Allardyce or an O'Neill, would it prove an anti-climax after the excitements of the last few, heady weeks? Roeder gave that one deep thought.

"It mustn't be, " he said. "I must very quickly slip back into a role." But if Newcastle's unbeaten run carries on past Old Trafford, where they have not won for 34 years, and then beyond Liverpool next week and Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-finals, his role would surely be the leading one.

FAPREMIERSHIP MANCHESTER UNITED VNEWCASTLE UNITED Old Trafford, 1.30 Live, Sky Sports 1, 1.00