Chris Lakey Glenn Roeder's managerial abilities have been given the big thumbs up from one of television's leading experts on Championship football.

Chris Lakey

Glenn Roeder's managerial abilities have been given the thumbs up from one of television's leading experts on Championship football.

Sky TV pundit Chris Kamara described Roeder's revolution at Carrow Road as unbelievable - and insists both manager and fans deserve a return to the Premiership.

"He has impressed a lot of people with his management style since he went in and the way the players have worked for him," said Kamara. "He is very low key about it all, but it has never been Glenn's style to shout things from the rooftops.

"I don't personally think he has got enough credit for what he has done so far - perhaps people don't realise, because Norwich is a million miles away from anywhere. But it is a hotbed of football - the catchment area for Norwich is tremendous and the club deserves Premiership football."

Roeder was short-listed for the Coca-Cola manager of the month award for January, but the judging panel, headed by Kamara, opted instead for Cardiff's Dave Jones - much to the relief of fans who have seen Roeder lead City on an 11-match unbeaten run.

It's a change of fortune which Kamara admitted he didn't see coming after the doldrums of the early weeks of the season.

"When you saw the position they were in a little while ago you really did fear for them, but the board were very careful in who they chose as manager and they have got it right," said Kamara, at 50, is two years Roeder's junior.

"What he did at Newcastle was no fluke - he didn't have the best of times at West Ham, but Newcastle restored his reputation. Unfortunately it didn't go well for him in the end, but everyone has seen since then that they are a club that needs turning inside out.

"I don't mean this disrespectfully, but I think a lot of people thought it was an uninspired appointment by Norwich, for some reason. But it wasn't, it was an inspired choice by the board to get him in their because it has been fantastic the way he and Lee Clark have gone about their jobs, the way they have recruited good players and got the best out of them."

One of those who is enjoying a purple patch in the twilight of his career is Dion Dublin - who may well join Kamara in the Sky commentary box once his career finally comes to an end in the summer.

"Dion is playing some of his best football for a long time," said Kamara. "It doesn't matter what age he is, but Glenn has had to be courageous in putting him in there in the first place and giving him such a vital role.

"At the end of last season people said Dion had had enough and it was time for him to go out, but this type of management style suits him. He could well have been in the running for the job himself and he could have sulked, but everyone is benefiting."

Roeder - whose only managerial award came in March 2003 when he was in the Premiership with West Ham - has taken City from relegation favourites to the relative comfort of mid-table in the space of 17 games.

But Kamara believes City fans should take things one step at a time and not get too excited about what the rest of the season might bring.

"They have only got to continue their form and that should see them through to safety," said Kamara. "It is not about promotion this year. Yes, it's close and you only have to look at what Crystal Palace have done. But you shouldn't be thinking about that at the moment - let's see what Glenn can do after the summer when he brings in players he wants."