Blackburn defender Danny Simpson has hailed Sam Allardyce's influence since he launched his rescue mission at Ewood Park.
The 54-year-old was parachuted in by Rovers when Paul Ince's short-lived reign came to an ignominious end last month, and remains unbeaten after four games at the helm.
Indeed, but for an astonishing late Jason Roberts miss at Sunderland and a collapse at the death against Manchester City, Allardyce could well have returned from Monday night's tricky FA Cup third round trip to non-league Blyth with four victories to his name.
The man who worked such wonders just down the road at Bolton spent 11 months out of the game following his ill-fated spell in charge at Newcastle, but Simpson insists he has lost none of his ability to organise and inspire with his side lying second from bottom in the Barclays Premier League.
He said: "He has just brought in his own ideas on the training pitch, and everyone has taken it on board.
"He has got an aura about him. Everyone listens to him and respects him.
"Things are just clicking on the training ground, and from the training ground, it is carrying on to the pitch on a Saturday.
"We have always said we were a team that should be doing well, and now we are doing well and hopefully we will take that into the game [at Fulham] on Saturday."
Simpson, on loan for the season from Manchester United, was one of the beneficiaries of Allardyce's decision to rest his entire first team for the game at Croft Park, resuming at right-back following a two-game absence with a calf injury.
The second string made hard work of seeing off Blue Square North strugglers Blyth despite dominating, and were almost made to pay at the death when substitute Andrew Wright came within inches of cancelling out Carlos Villanueva's lone 59th-minute strike.
Victory in Northumberland booked Rovers another date in the north-east - they will head for Sunderland for the third time this season in the fourth round - and launched what they hope will be an extended run in the competition.
Simpson, who played 14 games on loan at the Stadium of Light during the latter stages of the Black Cats' 2006-07 promotion campaign, said: "At the moment, we are in the bottom three and we are on a good run to get out of that and climb the league.
"But the Gaffer said before the game, it is six games to Wembley, and this was the first one.
"We have got through this one now. It was difficult in the last half an hour, but we have got through it and we will look forward to the next game at Sunderland and just take it game by game.
"I was there earlier in the season, and it was good. I still know a lot of people from there, so it will be good to go back - and hopefully beat them."
By that time, however, Blackburn may have been forced to make a decision over the future of star striker Roque Santa Cruz amid speculation that Manchester City will finally make their big-money move for the Paraguayan later this week.
Allardyce, who refused to be drawn on reports linking him with a swoop for former Bolton frontman El-Hadji Diouf, has made no secret of his desire to hang on to Santa Cruz, and was adamant there had been no developments as he prepared to leave Blyth.
He said: "I wouldn't want to lose him. At the moment, we have had no bid, and until we have had a bid to consider one way or the other...
"Personally, I hope we don't get one."
As Allardyce turned his attention back to the fight against relegation, Spartans counterpart Dunn was doing exactly the same ahead of Saturday's trip to Hyde United, even if some fans were already looking forward to the start of next season's cup adventure.
He said: "Well, it's 30 years since we had a crack at it - I don't think I will be here the next time we have a crack at it.
"It's a great night, an absolutely great night for all concerned and we have thoroughly enjoyed it.
"But that's the end of it. After tonight, that's it gone, finished."
