PETULANT players, record-breaking goalscorers and relegation six-pointers - just an average day in the management of Newcastle United.

Glenn Roeder's first Saturday in charge was almost perfect. A comfortable win, a clean sheet and Alan Shearer scoring his 201st goal for Newcastle United.

The priority for the caretaker boss was to ensure the Magpies weren't dragged into the relegation battle by Portsmouth and with a little tinkering to the starting XI, that was achieved with some comfort.

Roeder's tinkering meant there was no place for £9.5m signing Albert Luque who seems hell bent on filling the Spanish misfit role vacated by Marcelino.

His reaction to the news was to inform his manager he wanted to go home. Probably not the response Roeder would want from one of his senior professionals but, according to Roeder, football's a different animal to when he played.

It's also changed a lot in the two-and-a-half years since he was a manager.

His last game before Saturday as a boss was at Rotherham in front of 8,739 in August 2003 when a first half Darren Byfield goal was enough to see him sacked from his role at West Ham.

Roeder will not allow that fate to befall him at Newcastle and with chairman Freddy Shepherd insisting the permanent appointment will be sooner rather than later, he should be back at his Academy desk before Newcastle face Southampton in the FA Cup in 12 days time.

And while he's been away it appears the arrogance of the modern day footballer has, if anything, got even worse.

On a day that was important for Newcastle to show a togetherness, Luque decided he wasn't hanging around just for the sake of it.

Not very courteous to Roeder but the caretaker boss was more than happy to rise above it.

"I had a chat before the game with Albert which is a private chat but I would say he is a very professional person and asked if he could return home," said Roeder.

"I don't have a problem with that. There is nothing sinister in that whatsoever. He trained really well yesterday (Friday) and I am positive on him.

"There is no doubt he has qualities but he has not had the best of starts, no one could deny that and he couldn't, so I thought I would not use him today (Saturday) and when he asked to go home it made sense.

"We live in a different world to when I played but he was very proper in the meeting, and there is no problem."

The meeting was conducted through the interpreting skills of Nolberto Solano so if the Peruvian meant home as in Spain Roeder may already have his first problem.

Without him Newcastle produced their best performance since the victory over Arsenal in December.

The departure of Souness was undoubtedly key to this apparent release of pressure.

Alan Shearer was obviously taking his new role assisting Roeder seriously and a pre kick-off huddle was introduced.

All eager to impress, Newcastle couldn't have asked for more appropriate opponents. Portsmouth were abysmal and lacked anything going forward.

Newcastle's much-maligned defence had little to do and the width that appears to have been missing for months returned.

Solano had his best game since his return to Newcastle and Charles N'Zogbia was even better on the opposite flank.

Dean Kiely was forced to push an effort from Emre round the post in the 14th minute and did even better to save a left footed shot from Shola Ameobi just before the half hour.

In between those Shearer and N'Zogbia had headed efforts wide of the target and Andy O'Brien was forced into a last-gasp challenge to deny Ameobi on the centre-back's return to St James' Park.

The only surprise at half-time was Newcastle went in just one up thanks to N'Zogbia's 41st minute strike.

Ameobi and Solano combined on the right side of the penalty area and when Shearer's header from Solano's cross cannoned off the legs of Kiely, the French teenager coolly side-footed home.

"We let them off the hook (in the first half)," said Roeder. "It was a bit of bad luck we did not score more goals."

They managed just the one after the break but it was the one most in the crowd wanted to see.

Shearer played it to Ameobi on the edge of the box and a deft back-heel returned the ball to the skipper.

A large intake of breath for the Gallowgate end as Shearer got ahead of the last man, O'Brien, and when he fired low and true under the body of Kiely the ground erupted.

Time for Shearer the player to celebrate his landmark 201st goal for this hometown club.

Roeder said: "It could not be more perfect. The team to win 2-0 means Shay kept a clean sheet, the defence has taken some stick and they need to put some pride back, and then throw into the mix Alan Shearer's scoring record then you have the lot.

"And the way he scored the goal - there's been so many Alan Shearer goals like that - it never crossed my mind he would miss.

"That probably says something about him as well - you just knew."

Today Roeder will be expecting that Shearer the assistant manager will be ensuring the players quickly put Saturday's success out of their minds.

Both he and his assistant will remind the players they are still only nine points clear of a relegation spot.

Result: Newcastle United 2, Portsmouth 0.