Stuart Pearce is expected to be confirmed as Manchester City manager on Thursday.
Blues insiders revealed earlier this week that the formality of Pearce's appointment to succeed Kevin Keegan would be rubber-stamped prior to Sunday's UEFA Cup qualification encounter with Middlesbrough.
And chairman John Wardle appears to have decided to time the announcement to coincide with the unveiling of a memorial to City's most successful boss, Joe Mercer.
The news will come as no surprise to anyone who has charted Pearce's progress since he took command following Keegan's shock departure on March 11 and is bound to be welcomed by the Blues faithful, who have already taken the focused Londoner to their hearts.
City will hope the confirmation ensures a full house and a high octane atmosphere for the Boro clash, as their club looks for the victory which would almost certainly be enough to earn them European qualification for the first time in almost 30 years.
Although his side suffered a late defeat in his first game in charge at
Tottenham, Pearce has since guided City on a seven-match unbeaten run, the club's best top flight run without a defeat since 1994.
The record scooped him the manager of the month award for April and also sealed his first permanent management role.
While Martin O'Neill and Iain Dowie were initially installed as favourites to replace Keegan this summer, Pearce has obliterated all challengers for the job.
It is not just City's on-pitch performances which have caught the eye of Wardle and his fellow board members, it is also the diligent manner in which he has performed the less glamorous behind-the-scenes tasks.
From the moment he was first installed, Pearce has insisted he was approaching the job as if he was going to be here for years.
However, for the first time seven days ago, he revealed if he was not told the vacancy was his before Sunday's game he would take it as an indication he was not going to get it.
Even at that stage though, there was never any question of him not being handed the reins, with last Saturday's win at Aston Villa, the fourth victory in City's last six outings, just offering further proof he was the right man for the job.
The one obvious drawback is a lack of experience, particularly in the transfer market.
However, Wardle thinks the 43-year-old has earned the right to be trusted with any cash City do make available, although Pearce has already admitted he does not expect his summer transfer kitty to be large.
One of his first tasks will be to try to get a deal to keep on-loan winger Kiki Musampa for another season, while Pearce must also resolve the future of former England international Steve McManaman, whose contract expires in the summer and is thought to be on the brink of retirement from the English game.
I have been a fan of Stuart Pearce for a long time!
His passion and commitment will drive other players he manges to succeed - Great appointment too!
