AS John Carver takes the manager's seat in the home dug-out at St James' Park there will be a sudden sense of satisfaction. The rise, rise and rise of Carver will be complete. From youth team coach to Newcastle United manager.

But promotion after promotion has set Sir Bobby Robson's former assistant up for a fall. Unfortunately for Carver at 5pm today his dream will be temporarily achieved but quickly forgotten.

No matter what the outcome is against Blackburn Rovers he knows his one-game reign of his hometown club will be over and the new man will be installed.

Graeme Souness, the former Rovers boss, has been lined up and will be underneath the Milburn Stand on Monday to be met by the media throng gathered to examine the Scot's credentials. The man with the hard-line reputation and the man drafted in to keep the brat-pack in tow.

Souness, 51, was not first choice and chairman Freddy Shepherd had tried to bring in a younger version. Two of Shepherd's preferred options, Steve Bruce and Steve McClaren, will also be in the North-East this afternoon.

It will be the first time since the speculation surrounding the pair's futures materialised that they have had to lead their team into a Premiership fixture. And they will be on the same touchline at the Riverside today when Middlesbrough and Birmingham kick-off.

In Bruce, Shepherd would have appointed the Geordie manager he sought. But his arrival would have come at a cost, believed to be £5m, as he signed a five-year contract at St Andrews in the summer.

Considering the price-tag, that would have been a gamble of immense proportions. It would have eaten into the new manager's January transfer kitty - increased late last month through the £13.4m sale of Jonathan Woodgate.

And, although he has transformed the Blues from Championship hopefuls into a competitive top-flight outfit, Bruce has yet to prove himself and is yet to get his hands on some silverware.

That has not been a problem for McClaren. It may have taken time since arriving at Middlesbrough in 2001 but last year was the making of him.

Carling Cup glory at the Millennium Stadium in February helped propel the status of the former Manchester United number two to the next level.

As well as being linked with every top club job that becomes available he is also touted as Sven-Goran Eriksson's successor in the national team's head coach's chair.

McClaren may only have two years remaining on his existing deal, but it would come as no surprise if Boro were contractually entitled to a hefty transfer fee-like compensation package on the day when he does go.

Becoming England boss is McClaren's football utopia.

It's his intended and, if he carries on what he has started, there is every chance of him fulfilling his wish.

His summer spending at Boro has equipped him with the strongest squad he has had at his disposal since leaving Old Trafford and the club are well-positioned to make a concerted push for a top six place.

With that in mind it would have been a risk for McClaren to take over at Newcastle.

Not known to have fallen out on a regular basis with his players, would he have been able to keep Kieron Dyer, Craig Bellamy and Laurent Robert quiet?

Perhaps it is a blessing for McClaren that he has stayed put.

Now there is every chance that another successful campaign at Boro will lead to him stepping closer to taking charge of his country.

McClaren closing in on England, Bruce staying at St Andrews, Souness in charge at St James' . . . but what now for Carver?