Not even the weather, it seems, can stop Manchester United. There will be a pitch inspection at St James' Park, Newcastle at 9.30 am this morning, but though this corner of the north-east of England is snow-bound, Newcastle United are so confident that the undersoil heating at their ground will work they even let Shay Given perform a fitness test at St James' yesterday morning. So Manchester will not need to plough through the all white as well as the black and white, and will be expected to discard Newcastle in the same imperious manner with which they dealt with Aston Villa and Ipswich Town in recent games. They have an eight-point lead to protect, after all.
After Tuesday's victory in Birmingham John Gregory became the latest Premiership manager to sing the praises of Alex Ferguson's side, and to concede the title. Despite the money he has spent, Gerard Houllier did so much earlier in the season and even David O'Leary has been moved to speak of Old Trafford's domestic omnipotence just as Leeds United assembled a squad apparently capable of challenging it.
Arsenal aside, the lack of combative alternatives and the amount of inferiority being shown has been this Premiership's half-term report most depressing reading.
In the circumstances, therefore, it was uplifting to be in the company of the Newcastle manager Bobby Robson yesterday morning. At 68, Robson has been around as many blocks as Gregory, Houllier and O'Leary put together. But, although Robson is in charge of a team so obviously subordinate to Ferguson's, he sternly tackled the assumption that this Premiership season is concluded before December is out.
"No, it's not over yet," Robson said, almost insulted by the very question. "And I don't think Alex Ferguson thinks that. I don't think he'll play a weak team against Newcastle. He'll play his very best team out of respect for us.
"It's December, it's not March, a lot can happen. They've just got more consistency in their team than anybody else. Arsenal are very close to them and Liverpool were on their way up until the last game. Leeds might come with a little rush but they might be too far behind to challenge Manchester United. I think Man U have just got the advantage by a slight distance but it's not over yet.
"It's premature to say that, look what happened here under Kevin (Keegan). Newcastle were twelve points ahead and nobody believed they could possibly lose it, but they did.
"It will be a very good team which takes the title from Man United, they'll probably just keep their noses in front this time." Ferguson concurred, sort of. "There are massive games ahead," he said, "and if Arsenal are the main challengers, then fine. But I think after January 1st you have a good idea. You can't discount Liverpool, who've come with a run. So we'll wait and see."
Previously Robson had mentioned the talent in United's ranks of Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and David Beckham but when it came to identifying United's "greatest strength" Robson said it is that: "Every game is a Cup tie for them, everyone wants to beat them - but they can handle that."
United handled it so well last season that they had only three defeats on their way to winning the league by a record 18 points. The last of them came at St. James' in February - 3-0 to Newcastle with Keane sent off - but Newcastle's scorers that day were Alan Shearer and Duncan Ferguson. But neither Ferguson or Shearer are available to Robson this afternoon, Ferguson having been sold back to Everton and Shearer having undergone surgery on Wednesday. Shearer's operation was so successful he was walking around Newcastle's training ground yesterday but with Carl Cort still injured it looks as though it will be 19-year-old Shola Ameobi, making his second start, and Keiron Dyer leading the Newcastle line just as they did against Leeds on Tuesday.
Robson admitted his surprise that against Rio Ferdinand and Jonathan Woodgate the ploy had worked but seemed less than totally convinced it could do so again, particularly against a United defence which, for all the criticism it has received, has conceded nine goals in 11 away games, the best record in the Premiership.
Aware of that, the mere thought of the Ferguson-Shearer partnership made Robson sigh. "That's why front players are so important," he said, before mentioning the fact that Dwight Yorke is once again available to Alex Ferguson after the three-match ban he received following his last visit to the north-east in November, at Sunderland in the League Cup.
With Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole still working on their recuperation, United have paired Giggs with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during Yorke's suspension and the Norwegian has responded with three goals in his last two matches, but it is likely Yorke will feature at some stage today.
Whatever permutation Ferguson settles on, the odds are that United will be leaving Newcastle with a seventh Premiership away win and if Given, who passed his fitness test, is selected ahead of Steve Harper it is to be hoped he practised bending down yesterday. Given had tweaked a thigh against Derby County last Saturday and missed the Leeds game but Robson said: "Shay is fine. I wasn't there but I'm told he is happy."
