IF, AS GLENN ROEDER SUGGESTED, coaching is “not rocket science”, how is it that Newcastle United are undergoing rapid lift-off courtesy of their caretaker manager? On a diet of homily — hard work, unspun truths and positivity — Roeder has led his team to a sequence of five matches without defeat and lightened the soul of a club that had been wallowing in self-pity.

Graeme Souness was not graced by good fortune, but his tenure at St James’ Park degenerated into a glorified medical bulletin. The same issues affect Roeder — Alan Shearer, Michael Owen, Titus Bramble, Kieron Dyer, Steven Taylor and Stephen Carr all missed this fixture — but there is now a different emphasis on Tyneside. Responsibility is being grasped.

“I’m not going to whine on about injuries because I feel that’s a negative thing for a manager or a coach to do and gives players an excuse to get beaten,” Roeder explained in his programme notes. “I was out of the game for two years and in that time I got sick and tired of seeing and hearing managers and coaches on TV whingeing about injuries or bad refereeing.”

After a gloomy, goalless midweek draw against Charlton Athletic, a default setting of misery had returned to Newcastle. “What a load of rubbish,” Roeder responded. “I have been a bit fed up with the negativity.” The mood had not been helped by an FA Cup draw away to Chelsea. “What I want is for our supporters to get their heads around these three words: We Can Win,” Roeder wrote. Gradually, They Are.

Under Souness, Newcastle’s defence was pilloried, particularly Jean-Alain Boumsong, his £8.5 million signing from Rangers. The Scot would talk about “proper men” and leave them to confront their own limitations. Roeder is an interventionist. “They were playing as individuals,” he said. “I was surprised the first few times I worked with them. There was no communication.

“They all speak English, but they weren’t talking to each other. Where I come from, as a former centre half, I don’t know how you can play as a defender without giving information and covering each other’s backs. It is that simple. I have a background working with Terry Venables — he is so much better than everyone else — and he always started preparing by making sure you don’t concede.”

Newcastle have kept clean sheets against Everton, Charlton, Southampton and Portsmouth and allowed a single goal away to Aston Villa. It has been a forgiving series of opponents and Roeder’s methods, or those of his permanent successor, will be tested in forthcoming games against Bolton Wanderers, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, but they are now eleventh in the table, five points behind Arsenal. Europe is again being mentioned.

“Maybe Graeme leaving took the pressure away,” Scott Parker admitted. “You could sense as a player that he was under pressure and we were, too. I felt it especially, because he brought me here and I desperately wanted to do well for him, but I suppose his departure has cleared the air. There’s no special recipe for what we’re doing. Winning games has been the main thing.”

With Parker, Emre Belözoglu, Charles N’Zogbia and Nolberto Solano instrumental, Newcastle played some sweet football on Saturday, although Emre was required to clear two headers by David Weir from the line and Shay Given made a fine save from Mikel Arteta. The scoreline was unflattering to Everton, but they could muster no response to Solano’s goals, a tap-in after 64 minutes and a sumptuous finish after 76. Not rocket science, but a blast.