Roeder's lesson in survival the best

As Sheffield United prepared for a battle royal to escape the Premiership drop, Roeder engineered Newcastle's path to safety four seasons after the then West Ham boss collapsed with a brain tumour.

Under fire from fans and worried for the safety of his family after thugs hurled a brick through a window at home, Roeder's personal hell in 2004 emphatically disproves the great Bill Shankly's most quoted homily.

It seems slightly absurd now that goals from Obafemi Martins and Steve Taylor should hoist Newcastle into 10th position after the Toon Army, already feuding with captain Scott Parker, had threatened a mutiny. But Roeder said: "Football is taking over so many people's lives. How do you handle the pressure? I actually don't feel the pressure, and I know people will say, 'I don't believe you'.

"Four years ago, on Easter Monday, I collapsed with a brain tumour. Things like that change you. I'm as passionate as ever and I want to win, perhaps even more, but things like that straighten you out.

"I feel lucky - that's a crazy thing to say, isn't it? We have just lost three games before today. I have to have broad shoulders as a manager. I can't expect to be patted on the back all of the time.

"I've got lots of experience now of life. I learned from West Ham that people were not having a personal go at me, it's the job that I hold. It doesn't matter who is manager, you are going to be criticised.

"You have to handle that. And now I am, four years on. So I got something from the West Ham experience that's positive for me. It's never just a job and I'm determined to bring Newcastle success."

Martins, with a respectable 17th minute volley, and defender Taylor, with a headed winner 10 minutes from time, ensured the fourth Premiership away win that satisfied the demanding travelling support.

But it was Parker, with a dynamic performance that lasted only 55 minutes, who took the eye and left his fiercest Newcastle critics with no option but to acclaim him the heartbeat of their team.

It took a dislocated thumb and a damaged ankle to interrupt a rousing display that would shortlist him for Footballer of the Year were the former England midfielder to reproduce it on a regular basis.

Parker is a doubt today against visitors Arsenal, a match that suddenly appears winnable and which would give St James' Park a chance to make up with the skipper they have cold-shouldered.

He said: "Of course, it hurts, I wouldn't be human - I have feelings. But there was never any question that I would leave. I feel I've been playing some good football, and they're close to my heart.

'The one thing we have got is spirit'

"I don't think relegation ever entered our minds but we did need to prove it to ourselves, stick together as a team. We needed to look after each other.

"We've had a lot of pressure over the last couple of weeks from all angles, at times from our own fans, and rightly so. That comes from playing for a big club but we needed a result and a performance.

"Most people, including the people nearest to us, thought we'd get turned over and we've proved them wrong. When we want to mix it up we can, and when we want to play football, we can do that as well."

Newcastle's victory should have been more emphatic, even though Christian Nade's 75th-minute equaliser sparked brief hopes of the point that would have hauled Sheffield back out of the bottom three.

But for the first time they looked like a side touched by relegation's icy hand, watched from the sidelines by the frustrated Rob Hulse, the injured striker, who would be a summer target if they go down.

The three final home matches Neil Warnock counted as aces in the survival hole - West Ham, on Saturday, followed by Watford and Wigan - could morph into banana skins under the swelling pressure.

United should have been at Old Trafford tomorrow night but manager Warnock admitted: "I'm glad we're not playing Manchester United on the back of this disappointing result.

"I don't think we're the strongest in respect of mental toughness because we've got a lot of younger lads who have not seen it before, so you don't know. The one thing we have got is spirit.

"They kept going, even though they were as sick as the proverbial. As a manager, that's all you can ask.

"We are fighting a relegation battle and, although we are limited, we have a great bunch of lads.

"We need some breaks. I joked about having a Mr Divine running the line, but we do need a break at times, the kind that West Ham got at Blackburn, to give ourselves a kick-start."

Bramall Lane skipper Phil Jagielka and his team-mates shelved their disappointment to give young fans an extended autograph session straight after the game.

Jagielka said: "There were 30,000 here again today and a lot of them are young kids. It's important we stay up for them. The kids were gutted we lost, they didn't say much. But it's not all doom and gloom."