THE Football Association are ready to ask Newcastle United boss Bobby Robson to lead England in their friendly with Italy in Turin next month.

United chairman Freddy Shepherd has given tacit approval for 67-year-old Robson to return to his old job - but only temporarily.

Shepherd said: "We rewarded Bobby with a contract extension last season and England can forget about him taking the job on a permanent basis.''

Robson has admitted he is ready to come to his country's aid as the FA consider how best to replace Kevin Keegan.

He said: "I am first and foremost manager of Newcastle but, if my chairman agrees, I would be delighted to help out England.''

Ironically, it was in Turin that Robson bowed out as England manager after the World Cup semi-final shoot-out defeat against the then West Germany ten years ago.

Now he could be poised to return to the scene on November 15 as England attempt to restore their shattered pride.

The FA, however, were yesterday remaining tight-lipped. "No decision on the staffing of the England team for the game against Italy has been taken,'' a spokesman said.

Having won 20 caps as a player and managed the side for eight years, Robson remains a huge patriot.

And he hit out furiously at caretaker boss Howard Wilkinson's suggestion that the current World Cup campaign might as well be written off in favour of a strategy aimed at England qualifying for the finals of 2006.

"I don't think we should give it up,'' snapped Robson. "I don't agree with the theory that we should forget about it and build for the next two to four years. Who is to say we will be ready then?

"We should still pick the best players and we should see if we can fight for the points and try to qualify for the World Cup.

"What do we want to give it up for?

"It's been a bad week for our football. Nobody can deny that because we lost to Germany in the last match at Wembley, which was rather sad, we lost the manager and we didn't win in Finland.

"We've picked up one point out of six and we're trailing.

"But you just have to be optimistic and look to the future and forget about the two games that have gone.

"We have Greece to play twice, Albania to play twice and a difficult game in Germany.

"But you just hope England will go on and pick up the points and somewhere Germany will lose some.

"Who's to say that won't happen?''

Shepherd may be persuaded to allow his manager another brief taste of international football, but he is adamant that the man he handed a 12-month rolling contract last season is going nowhere long-term.

Kenny Dalglish and Ruud Gullit have failed to fill the void left by Keegan when he walked out of St James' Park almost four years ago.

But Robson has succeeded and there would be an outcry on Tyneside if the latest aspirant to the title of Geordie Messiah were allowed to slip through their fingers.

Robson's loyalty is not in question. He turned down an initial approach from Newcastle - when Keegan quit United - because he was under contract to Barcelona, and he has repeatedly insisted that this will be his last job in football.

Meanwhile, the United manager's protege Bryan Robson has reiterated his dream of becoming England boss one day.

"If the England job was ever offered to me and I took it, I'd want to make a success of it,'' said the Middlesbrough boss, who is backing Terry Venables for the job.

"I've still got a lot to do at this club and I'm not looking any further than that. I think I'll know if and when I ever arrive at that stage.''

Robson senior, who once wanted Bryan to be groomed as his successor as England boss, said: "He's got the potential, but it's a question of whether he wants it.''