WHILE the intensity of Craig Bellamy's dispute with Graeme Souness has been particularly strong, it is far from unusual for players to suffer irretrievable differences with their management staff. Just ask Terry McDermott.

The chirpy Scouser began his fourth spell at St James' Park yesterday after his man-management skills persuaded Graeme Souness to re-unite one of the most famous of Liverpool midfield partnerships.

McDermott first moved to Tyneside in February 1973 and, after leaving to make his name on Merseyside, he returned to team up with ex-Anfield colleague Kevin Keegan nine years later.

The duo were re-united again in the early 1990s, but this time the partnership prospered at managerial level as the Magpies came within a whisker of clinching the Premiership title.

Keegan left under a cloud shortly afterwards, but McDermott remained in place as Kenny Dalglish was appointed to take United forward.

Just six months into Dalglish's tenure on Tyneside, the Scot found himself facing a situation with obvious parallels to the problem facing Souness this week.

Volatile Frenchman David Ginola did not fit into Dalglish's plans and, after an obvious clash of personalities pushed the pair apart, one of United's biggest stars was sold to Tottenham.

Just as some Newcastle fans are questioning the wisdom of selling Bellamy to Birmingham, so a healthy proportion of the club's supporters bemoaned losing Ginola to Spurs.

But, on each occasion, McDermott was confident the right decision had been made.

"A happy dressing room is a winning dressing room," said McDermott, who almost became Souness' right-hand man at Anfield before moving to the North-East to join Keegan in 1992. "If you've got a little bit of unrest in the dressing room, then you don't win anything.

"If I can add a positive attitude to the place then all the better. It's about trying to get players to look forward to coming to work.

"I remember when Kevin was the manager, the players couldn't wait to come into training.

"That's what we've got to get back to.

"If you've got a happy dressing room, you win games. And that's what we all want at the club."

Alongside Keegan, McDermott helped to nurture one of the most successful United sides in recent history.

The current crop are some way short of challenging for the Premiership title but, with a few minor changes here and there, the new Newcastle coach sees no reason why they cannot re-establish themselves in the top four.

"When I look at the players we have here there is so much quality and it does remind me of what we had under Kevin," claimed McDermott.

"Potentially we're as good as any squad in the country bar Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester United. If we can realise that potential then we wouldn't be far behind the top three.

"With a little bit of tinkering, now and in the summer, there's no reason why we can't be in the top four. That's where a club of this size should be."

Officially, McDermott has been appointed as a coach but, behind the scenes, there is a tacit acknowledgement that he has been brought to Tyneside to provide a much-needed buffer between Souness and his playing staff.

Last week's explosive spat with Bellamy underlined the need for a go-between to keep Souness abreast of developments on the training ground and, after performing a similar role for both Keegan and Dalglish, McDermott is seen as the ideal man to nip any future conflicts in the bud.

"I've eventually got my man," beamed Souness. "When I was at Liverpool I tried to get him to join me there but he snubbed me and decided to come here instead.

"It's great to have him here. We go back a long way and we've enjoyed some great moments together. I know he's going to be a fabulous addition to my staff.

"He's going to be on my shoulder, blowing in my ear about football matters and non-football matters and I'm really looking forward to working with him.

"He's got great experience and he knows Newcastle United inside out. This is his football club and he'll be an enormous help to me in every aspect of management. I can't tell you how happy I am to have him here."

* Southampton assistant manager Jim Smith believes ''the only loyalty in football is among supporters'' as he and Harry Redknapp prepare to feel the wrath of angry Portsmouth fans in the FA Cup fourth round today.

Smith revealed Redknapp has been ''shocked'' by the reaction of Pompey supporters to his decision to leave Fratton Park and take over at their fierce south coast rivals.

He said: ''The only loyalty in football is among supporters. As a manager, once you leave a club you have to look for another.

''I don't think Harry or I would have dreamed a few weeks ago that we would in the Southampton dug-out for a south coast derby. But football is a strange game.''

''It was very bad for him and it hurt him a lot although it wasn't all like that - he had nice letters as well."

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