AS he prepares to lay his job on the line at Cheltenham later today, an ebullient Graeme Souness has insisted he retains the support of an overwhelming majority of Newcastle fans.

After a week of intense speculation regarding his managerial future, Souness takes his under-fire squad to Whaddon Road knowing this lunchtime's FA Cup fourth-round tie could prove to be his last match in charge of the Magpies.

The chaotic scenes that followed last weekend's Premiership defeat to Blackburn, in which around 200 protesting fans were dispersed by mounted police, suggested the tide had finally turned against Souness following 16 months of stagnation and under-achievement.

With even Cheltenham defender Craig Armstrong, born in South Shields but raised as a Sunderland supporter, admitting Newcastle fans had been texting him to express their desire for a Magpies defeat, loyalties are clearly divided on the banks of the Tyne.

A Cheltenham victory would surely expedite Souness' departure but, despite his stock having plummeted since the turn of the year, the Magpies manager has been buoyed by the correspondence he has received this week.

"I have had messages of support from fans - many, many of them," said Souness, who welcomes Scott Parker, Shola Ameobi and Emre back into his squad for this afternoon's game. "I would like to thank them for that. They have been supportive to me."

Nevertheless, that support will surely be exhausted if Newcastle lose to a side some 60 places below them later today.

Last season, a disappointing domestic campaign was largely overlooked as the Magpies reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup and scraped their way to an FA Cup semi-final with Manchester United.

With no European football to fall back on this term, and November's Carling Cup defeat at Wigan continuing to rankle, England's foremost cup competition currently offers the only road to redemption for a manager who insists he can still make a success of his spell at St James' Park.

"It means a great deal to us because it's the last chance we have of winning something this season," said Souness. "We have to be realistic - this is the only competition we have a chance of winning now, so it is very important to us.

"But the FA Cup is such a special, special competition that there is nothing needed to motivate you other than being involved in it. I think every one of our players is aware of how much the FA Cup means to our supporters."

And, of course, how much it means to Souness' chances of survival. The Scot met with chairman Freddy Shepherd on Monday afternoon in a summit that was widely expected to end in his departure.

It didn't but, while Souness insists the talks were amicable, it is understood that Shepherd expressed his disappointment at recent events.

While the Magpies chief accepts his manager has been unfortunate with injuries, he maintains that the current Newcastle side is good enough to be challenging for Europe.

Souness begs to differ, claiming he has had to lower his expectations every time a senior squad member has hobbled to the treatment room.

How an FA Cup run factors into either man's equations remains to be seen, but it is unlikely that even Souness' realism extends to a defeat at the hands of League Two opposition.

"The meeting was not confrontational," said the Newcastle boss. "I had a cup of coffee with him (Shepherd) and we discussed general things about the playing side.

"It was very amicable. The targets have been reassessed, of course they have given the problems we have had with injuries this season.

"I'm speaking for myself here, but I'm a realist and I understand what injuries can do to you. I can't speak for anyone else and I can't give you a clue (about Shepherd's expectations). We all want to do as well as we possibly can.

"There has been speculation, but that's management at big clubs, it's something you have to accept. Speculation is rife at most football clubs but, at Newcastle United, it happens on an even more regular basis than elsewhere.

"It's something that, as a manager, you have to deal with.

"This is a big game for myself and the club, but then we don't have small games here. The game is all I'm concentrating on. It will be a hard one and it is all I'm thinking about."

It could get slightly easier if Newcastle were able to field both Parker and Emre this afternoon, although the travelling support will be forgiven if they fail to get too excited at the prospect of the latter making his first start for two months.

Emre has been named in Souness' last three squads, only to be pulled out of the final 16 on every occasion.

The Turkey international has struggled to shake off a niggling hamstring problem but, with Lee Bowyer having remained on Tyneside with a viral infection, this could well be the day he returns to the fray.

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