O'Neill odds on for job at St James'

SOCCER: The odds on Martin O'Neill becoming the next manager of Newcastle United were slashed yesterday after sustained market support. He went from 5 to 2 against to 5 to 2 on after a surge of money which contradicted one report yesterday morning that he had rejected the job offer.

It is understood that, although Newcastle have made informal contact, neither party has reached a conclusion on the possibility of O'Neill succeeding Graeme Souness.

O'Neill's personal circumstances relating to his wife Geraldine's illness remain unaltered. That is his overriding concern and it means that precise timing is an issue in any approach to him either from a club or the English Football Association.

Should Newcastle have to play to the end of the season with Glenn Roeder in temporary charge they will. However, poor results could affect the situation.

The Newcastle chairman, Freddy Shepherd, has been on holiday in Barbados, where he spent time with Wigan chairman Dave Whelan. This prompted reports he was preparing an approach for Whelan's manager Paul Jewell, and though Shepherd refused to comment on the position at Newcastle he said yesterday: "I've had a short trip to Barbados to play golf in Dave Whelan's charity event. It was a long-standing engagement and because it was for charity both Dave and myself decided to go."

When Jewell, preparing for tomorrow's League Cup final, was asked about the report linking him to Newcastle he said: "There are all sorts of rumours flying around, linking different people. But I tend to take no notice of rumours because that's all they are. I have said I would like to be the manager of a team that is challenging for the top honours; here I am at Wigan playing for one of the big three trophies in English football."

But O'Neill is the man identified as Newcastle's prime target. Despite speculation that he would not want the St James' job, especially because England have a vacancy and he is high on the FA shortlist, he is believed to be receptive to the idea of reawakening Newcastle.

In the meantime, Roeder will simply get on with the job, although he does not know for how long. "It's a case of after the first game, just get the second game organised and get through the second game, and then the third, then the fourth," he said. "What happens next week for the club and for me, who knows?"

Guardian Service