Roberto Mancini's newfound popularity with Manchester City fans gets its toughest test yet Saturday when the coach takes his team to Everton in the Premier League.
Mancini's status is such that, with four straight wins following his arrival, City says its club shops have responded to demand from fans and started selling replicas of the traditional blue-and-white striped scarf he wears while walking the touchline.
City's fans are renowned for their loyalty, sticking with the club even when it dropped into the third tier a decade ago, but their perception of Mancini's abilities may be readjusted should the team he inherited when Mark Hughes was fired stumble at Goodison Park.
Everton is slowly recovering from a poor start to the season and last week's 2-2 draw at in-form Arsenal stretched its unbeaten run to five matches.
Carlos Tevez has attracted much of the attention with seven goals in five matches, including a hat trick in Monday's 4-1 win over Blackburn that lifted City into the top four, but it is the defense that could be tested most on Saturday.
Defender Dedryck Boyata, a City trainee who has played his first two matches for the first team since Mancini arrived, said the manager has been focusing hard on the rearguard to make the side tougher to beat.
"We've been working more on team shape and working in teams," the 19-year-old Boyata said. "Defenders will work with defenders, midfielders with midfielders and so on and we also concentrate more on tactics.
"And it's working so far."
Under Mancini, City has conceded only one goal in four matches and scored ten.
United States midfielder Landon Donovan could make his home debut for Everton after making the first appearance of his loan from Major League Soccer against Arsenal.
"I am very excited about playing at Goodison," Donovan said. "Seeing how the fans respond and seeing their passion, I loved that.
"Obviously you play for yourself but you also want to play for them and show them something."
Donovan managed 70 minutes against Arsenal and is hoping to play the full match against a City side still in contention for the Premier League title.
"When I play a full game I am more effective," Donovan said. "I think I could have worn them down a little more but hopefully this weekend we will be able to do that against Manchester City."
Any slip up by City could give Tottenham the chance to climb back into the top four. Spurs host a Hull side they already beat 5-1 this season.
Dean Marney is included in Hull's squad and could face his former club, but fellow midfielder Jimmy Bullard is out with a knee injury and forward Daniel Cousin is at the African Cup of Nations with Gabon.
Also Saturday, leader Chelsea hosts Sunderland and second-place Manchester United hosts Burnley.
United trails Chelsea by a point and should be confident of beating a team that lost its manager to Bolton last week, but United has lost two and drawn one of its past four Premier League matches and lost 1-0 to newly promoted Burnley in August.
United will be without Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher because of suspension, while England internationals Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves are still not fit to play.
But goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar could be fit to return after two months out.
"It depends how Edwin feels but he has been training very well," Ferguson said.
Blackburn hosts Fulham, Portsmouth hosts Birmingham, Stoke hosts Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers hosts Wigan in Saturday's other matches.
Arsenal is at Bolton on Sunday, when Aston Villa hosts West Ham.
