Emre says Glenn Roeder has won him over by putting a smile back on the faces of Newcastle United's squad.
The Magpies take on Manchester United at Old Trafford with a genuine chance of upsetting the form - and history - books thanks to the turnaround in fortunes the caretaker manager has inspired.
Newcastle have not won at the home of the Red Devils since 1972.
The Turkish midfielder had a strong bond of mutual appreciation with Graeme Souness, who brought him to St James's Park last summer. But Emre has been impressed with the job Roeder has done since the Scot's sacking on February 2.
"I joined Newcastle because of Graeme Souness and I didn't really know Glenn Roeder," he admitted. "I had heard the name but didn't know him. He is a very good person, always smiling."
Emre was still coming through Galatasaray's youth system when Souness was manager in Istanbul but the two had a close relationship.
"Graeme is a very important person all my life," he said. "He is my big friend. His sacking was a personal blow but life is like this - sometimes good, sometimes bad."
Souness' 17-month stewardship was more bad than good, characterised by confrontation, disunity and gloom. But the former Inter Milan and Galatasaray player has been taken by Roeder's positive persona.
"I like to play with a smile on my face," he said. "I have done that for the past 16 years.
"Glenn is smiling all the time he comes in the dressing room and is always so positive. We train very well with him and Windy (Paul Winsper).
"Life is short and you have to smile. If you win, that is OK but if you lose, smile."
The mood has further been lifted by the instant success Roeder has enjoyed at St James's Park. Five wins and a draw from his six matches were not enough to impress the Manager of the Month judges - the February accolade went instead to West Ham's Alan Pardew - but it has brought new confidence to the United dressing room.
"We won his first game and that was very important," Emre recalled. "Winning is the big difference. Two days after Glenn took over we had Portsmouth, which was a very difficult game because we had not been winning.
"We won that game and the dressing room became better."
Emre, though, says there is more to Roeder than simply cheering up the Magpies squad. Although the 25-year-old stopped short of telling chairman Freddie Shepherd to appoint Roeder full-time, he has given the ex-West Ham manager his backing as caretaker.
"As a coach, Glenn concentrates on detail," he said. "It is very good in training. At the moment he is the best manager for the job."
One person Emre is unlikely to recommend for the job is the man who sold him to Newcastle. Sven-Göran Eriksson's protegé, Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini is a front-runner with bookmakers but Emre had a strained relationship with the one-time Leicester City player.
"I did not play in the last three months under him at Inter," he said. "He is a good person but maybe he did not like me for those last three months at Inter.
"But Glenn Roeder does like me and that is what is important now."
