EMRE has urged Newcastle's board to make Glenn Roeder the club's next permanent manager, despite admitting he had no idea who the current caretaker was when he arrived in England in July.

The Turkey international, who has fostered a productive midfield partnership with Scott Parker in recent weeks, will make his seventh successive appearance under Roeder when the Magpies take on Manchester United tomorrow.

And, with the caretaker boss gradually warming to the idea of becoming Graeme Souness' long-term successor, Emre insists the Magpies could not wish for a better managerial candidate.

Martin O'Neill remains chairman Freddy Shepherd's number one target but, with every game that passes, Roeder is pushing himself closer and closer to a permanent post.

"I joined Newcastle because of Graeme Souness," said Emre, who will be making his first appearance at Old Trafford. "And, at that time, I didn't really know who Glenn Roeder was. I had heard the name, but I didn't really know him as a person.

"Now I know him and I know he is a really good person. When I first came here I only knew the name - now I know the person and I like him.

"Everything is okay and, at the moment, I think he is the best manager for the job. We have won five of the six games we have played and I am very happy with what he is doing.

"It is the chairman's job to decide and nothing to do with me, but I am very happy for Glenn Roeder to continue in the job. He has done very well and I hope he continues to do so."

Last weekend's 3-1 win over Bolton briefly took the Magpies into the top half of the table and, while Manchester City's subsequent victory over Sunderland relegated them back into 11th place, they remain just three points adrift of a top-seven spot.

Successive games against Manchester United and Liverpool could disrupt their momentum but, with ten games left, Emre insists a UEFA Cup place remains a realistic ambition.

"At the start of the season, things were not going very good," he admitted.

"Now that everything is going okay, perhaps we will make it into the top five or six. If we play like we have been recently, I am sure we can do it.

"The next three games are very difficult - Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea (FA Cup) - and this is a crucial period for us. But, if we want to climb the table, it is important we try to win these games, or at least make sure we don't lose them."

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