Steve Bruce knows his future at Newcastle United is out of his hands but says clarity on his position would be for the best as the club looks to move forward under its new ownership.
A controversial, Saudi Arabian-backed takeover of Newcastle went through earlier this month, with Bruce's position immediately cast under doubt.
Indeed, it seemed unlikely Bruce - a largely unpopular figure with Newcastle's fanbase - would be in place to take charge of his 1,000th match as a manager against Tottenham on Sunday.
While the reports of his impending dismissal did not prove to be true just yet, Bruce's landmark match ended in a 3-2 defeat, with Newcastle's new owners watching on from the crowd at St James' Park.
Callum Wilson scored inside two minutes to carry on the pre-match elation but Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Kane put Spurs ahead before a medical emergency in the crowd resulted in a lengthy stoppage in which the players left the pitch.
Spurs picked up where they left off after returning to the field, with Kane teeing up Son Heung-min, whose goal ultimately proved decisive when Eric Dier turned into his own net late on, just after Newcastle's Jonjo Shelvey had seen red.
Newcastle are without a single win from their opening eight league games, while since Bruce took charge ahead of the 2019-20 campaign, the Magpies have dropped 28 points from winning positions in home league games, the most of any Premier League side.
With money seemingly no issue for Newcastle's ownership, speculation over Bruce's future is bound to continue, and where he had been bullish in his pre-match news conference on Friday, the 60-year-old was rather more downcast after the match.
"That's for other people to decide," Bruce told Sky Sports when asked if he believed he would still be in charge for next week's trip to Crystal Palace.
"If I was reading everything and seeing what I was seeing last week I might not have been here today. But look, my job is to get a few results.
"Unfortunately, whether manager of Newcastle or anybody else in the Premier League, when you haven't won in eight, you become under pressure if that's the right word. That's part and parcel of being in the Premier League, with the big boys, and I'll crack on as best I can until I hear otherwise."
Asked if clarity on his position was required, Bruce replied: "That's what it needs. Every football club needs clarity. From the top right the way through to everything the football club is.
"The new owners have been very respectful, I can't say enough of them, the way they've gone about their business. But Rome wasn't built in a day, so we've still got our failings as a team and it's up to me, in the near future anyway, to get better.
"I'd love to say it's been a lovely ride. It's been difficult, but I think I've been in the circumstance of a lot of frustration for a lot of years.
"The people of Newcastle want to see the club move forward, we have a wonderful opportunity now and all I've ever wanted is to make sure this great club of ours moves forward, but that's going to take a little bit of time."
Bruce, however, did explain how the incident with the fan who fell ill during the first half put everything into perspective.
"Thankfully, we're hearing that the man is okay, so it puts things into perspective a little bit," Bruce said. "The actions that we've taken, it looks like it's good news, which I'm delighted for, and of course his family."
It was a sentiment echoed by Nuno Espirito Santo, with Spurs players Sergio Reguilon and Eric Dier both acting swiftly in alerting the referee and medical staff to the situation in the crowd.
"Credit to how they [Spurs players] reacted to what was happening in the stands and credit to Andre [Marriner], the referee," Nuno said in a news conference.
"He made the right decision. It was no condition to continue game. He stopped, spoke to us and explained what was happening. Thank God the person is stable and good, this is really good news."
Arsenal and Aston Villa technical staff charged by FA after altercation
Members of Arsenal and Aston Villa's technical teams have been charged by the Football Association over an altercation during their Premier League game last month.
The Gunners staged a remarkable 4-2 comeback at Villa Park on February 18, sealed by a dramatic own goal courtesy of their former goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
It came after earlier goals from Bukayo Saka and Oleksandr Zinchenko had helped the visitors draw on level terms, while Gabriel Martinelli added a fourth deep in injury time.
Celebrations were marred between a clash between Villa’s head of performance analysis Victor Manas and Arsenal's technical analyst Miguel Molina, and now the pair have been charged by the FA.
"Aston Villa's head of performance analysis, Victor Manas, and Arsenal's technical analyst coach, Miguel Molina, have been charged following their Premier League game on Wednesday 18 February," read a statement.
"It's alleged that Miguel Molina's behaviour and/or language during the 94th minute was improper and/or abusive and/or insulting, and that his behaviour in the tunnel after the final whistle was also improper."
Manas and Molina have until Friday to provide a response to the FA.
Tottenham seek urgent clarification after FIFA extends Paratici ban worldwide 'with no advance notice'
Tottenham have reached out to FIFA for urgent "further clarification" after Fabio Paratici's ban was extended worldwide "with no advance notice" to the club.
Paratici was one of 11 individuals banned by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in January after Juventus were found guilty of alleged breaches in relation to historical transfer dealings.
The Bianconeri were docked 15 points in Serie A as part of the punishment, with Paratici and Juve denying any wrongdoing and lodging an appeal for the initial sanctions to the Italian Olympic Committee.
Paratici was handed a 30-month ban by the FIGC but continued his role with Spurs due to his punishment only falling under the jurisdiction of Italian football's governing body.
But FIFA confirmed on Wednesday those FIGC sanctions have been extended worldwide, with Tottenham demanding immediate clarity over the bans on their managing director of football Paratici.
"Following media reports today regarding the FIFA Disciplinary Committee decision to extend worldwide the sanction imposed by the FIGC Federal Court of Appeals on Fabio Paratici on 20 January 2023, the club made urgent enquiries to FIFA," a club statement read.
"FIFA has late this afternoon responded to us in writing notifying us today, Wednesday 29 March 2023, that a decision has been made by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee to extend the FIGC sanction worldwide.
"This committee deliberation has been taken with no advance notice to any of the parties involved. We are urgently seeking further clarification from FIFA as to the details of the extension and its variance from the FIGC sanction."
The announcement came just a day after Paratici had addressed the club's media and stated head coach Antonio Conte's dismissal from Spurs was the "right decision for everyone".
Paratici placed his full faith in interim boss Cristian Stellini, who will be in charge until the end of the season, and Spurs sought to clarify the interview took place prior to any knowledge of FIFA's sanctions.
The statement added: "We should like to make clear that when Fabio conducted the interview on club channels yesterday neither he nor the club had any indication of this decision being made by FIFA, based on the fact the FIGC sanction was taken on 20 January 2023 and remains subject to an Appeal on 19 April 2023.
"We shall update on this matter in due course."
Luis Enrique keen on Premier League job but Spurs move unlikely
Former Spain and Barcelona coach Luis Enrique wants to work in England but has seemingly ruled out replacing Antonio Conte at Tottenham.
Luis Enrique parted ways with Spain after the 2022 World Cup, which saw La Roja knocked out by Morocco at the last-16 stage.
He was replaced by Luis de la Fuente, who stepped up from the Under-21s, leaving Luis Enrique back on the market.
Links to high-profile jobs have been frequent ever since, but the club he appears to have been associated with the most is Spurs, who dismissed Conte on Sunday after a week of intense speculation suggesting his time was over.
While Luis Enrique was not directly asked about Spurs during his first major interview of the year, he did express a desire to work in the Premier League.
But the fact he does not expect to be working in England even as early as July suggests the Spurs job would be a non-starter.
"I would like to go to England to work," he told Radio SER Gijon.
"But I don't see myself in the Premier League in July because I would like to go to a team there that can do important things, and that is very difficult.
"I would not go to [just] any Premier League team."
The 52-year-old has also been among the big names linked with the Brazil job, which Tite vacated following the Selecao's unsuccessful Qatar 2022 campaign.
Luis Enrique confirmed he has received offers from national teams – Brazil not being one of them – but he seems less interested in returning to the international stage.
"I don't see myself coaching Brazil," he continued. "Another coach profile fits in there better than mine.
"They haven't called me. I don't know if my style fits the best with Brazil.
"I have had offers from national teams, but not from clubs. It would have to be a very important [national] team to take it, although it would be very difficult for me to face Spain. I don't know if I would be ready."
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