Former Newcastle United and West Ham boss Glenn Roeder could yet emerge this week as the dark horse in the race for the Norwich City job.
The 51-year-old's name has barely registered in the weeks of intense speculation that have followed Peter Grant's resignation.
Paul Jewell has long been installed as the people's choice – a position he cemented futher once it became clear that he had no interest in the Bolton vacancy.
Thereafter, however, and opinion has been more divided as the usual list of Championship suspects do the rounds – Phil Parkinson, Simon Grayson, Martin Allen, Ian Holloway, Steve Tilson and Tony Pulis among them.
Paul Ince and Steve Bruce have figured on one or two wish-lists; interestingly Ince's MK Dons ended their recent nine-game winning streak at the top of League Two with a surprise 2-0 home defeat by Stockport County yesterday.
And the fact that he left his No2 to field the post-match interviews may yet fuel speculation that 'The Guv'nor' could have his mind elsewhere.
Back in Birmingham and the glorious row that appears to be emerging between Blues' would-be Hong Kong owner and the would-be out-going regime of the Golds and the Sullivans leaves Bruce's future ever more up in the air.
Digging him easily – and quickly – out of St Andrews looks a nigh-on impossible task. One suggestion has it that Bruce would take a complete break from football should he fall victim to the Carson Yeung regime.
Bruce himself felt he had unfinished business with Blues as he spoke of his future ahead of show-down talks this weekend.
“I've put together a good young team here and I want to see this through,” he told the Birmingham Evening Mail. “I've made my intentions clear, but I also respect that other people might want to make a change. I'll stay as long as I can.”
But with the pressure on the Carrow Road board whacking up another notch with every passing defeat, so the Smiths, the Turners and Co are going to have to make the decision of their boardroom lives sooner rather than later. In the next 48 hours, ideally.
The impression remains that the job is still Jewell's to refuse. He was due back in the country this weekend following an extended family holiday in Dubai.
Thereafter, however, and the race is still wide open – with Roeder firmly in a four or five-strong chasing pack after impressing at the formal interview stage.
At least one national Sunday newspaper offered a very good reason why the in-demand Jewell might politely decline Norwich's increasingly urgent approaches – according to the Sunday People today, he is being lined up by Middlesbrough to replace Gareth Southgate.
Boro' racked up another big defeat yesterday at the hands of Messrs Rooney and Tevez. And while losing at Old Trafford to those pair may be no disgrace, Southgate has now lost six of his last seven games and sits just one place above the relegation zone. It is Boro's worst start in their Premier League history.
It has clearly not gone unnoticed on Teesside that two of the three teams beneath Boro' – Spurs and Bolton – have already reacted to their own poor starts to the new campaign by axing the manager.
Hence the former England international found himself going on the defensive ahead of this weekend's United clash.
“I don't feel under pressure, not at all,” said Southgate, convinced that the kind of patience club owner Steve Gibson showed Bryan Robson will be extended in his direction. He remains, however, a managerial novice to many.
“You put pressure on yourself to get results, but you have to do what is right and improve the club and hope results follow. There is a lack of patience in football, but I am at a club where there is support. Outside, you could drown in a sea of negativity.
“But I'm determined not to let that happen,” he added. “The nature of the league and intensity of the spotlight means people create more pressure than there is. Some clubs will react one way, but I have fantastic support not just from the chairman and chief executive, but everyone.”
Should that support crack, however, and it would clearly offer a far more interesting job opportunity for the Jewell's of this world than the vacancy at Carrow Road.
Which is why, if you were Paul Jewell, you would be in no immediate hurry to leap into a Championship relegation fight when you could be offered a Premiership one.
All of which could yet find the Canary board shifting their sights elsewhere.
And with the decision apparently having been made that anyone of a foreign ilk didn't have what it takes to grind a mid-week point out of Blackpool (a), so interest will now fall squarely on a solid cast of Championship-type characters with Roeder having served his time in the lower reaches with both Watford and Gillingham before stepping into the Premiership spotlight with first West Ham United and Newcastle United.
Widely described as one of the nicest men in football, Roeder has been a long-time friend and support to Paul Gascoigne who he skippered at Newcastle United.
And he clearly did make an impact initially on Tyneside when he guided the Magpies out of danger in the wake of Graeme Souness' reign and on to a seventh-placed finish come the end of the 2005-2006 season.
A shaky start to last season as Alan Shearer hung up his boots was gradually overcome only for Roeder to 'resign' last May on the back of one win in ten games. As if by magic, little more than a week later and Sam Allardyce was appointed manager by then-chairman Freddy Shepherd.
Over the summer, Roeder was linked to the vacant 'director of football' post at Arsenal; further evidence of a man with friends in high places football-wise.
Roeder apart, the Sunday People insisted that Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen would be unveiled as the new Norwich City boss this week; he certainly would make a splash after delighting everyone with his impromptu dips in various rivers across the country.
Joking aside, Allen would bring 'impact'; he is no shrinking violet.
Meanwhile Plymouth boss Holloway's appearance among the runners and riders is certainly a surprise – but there he was in the News Of The World.
Quoting a 'source' the paper claimed: 'Olly loves working in the south west – but he is frustrated by the lack of funds and the fact that it's so hard to tempt players down there.”
Whereas tempting players to Norwich is, of course, child's play…
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