Steve Bruce remains confident that his future at Newcastle United.
The under-fire Magpies boss said (via Chronicle Live) he has no intention of walking away after one of his toughest weeks yet.
Bruce admitted there had been training-ground confrontation with Matt Ritchie after the story broke in the Mail.
Newcastle sit precariously in 17th ahead of their six-pointer at West Brom on Sunday.
“I am determined to crack on and stay with it,” he said.
“I’m never going to walk away and accept the challenge of how difficult it is to manage Newcastle.”
In the same report, Lee Ryder writes that Bruce will be safe at St James’ Park unless the club slip into the bottom three.
Their cushion is currently three points, though they do have a game in hand on 18th-placed Fulham.
Even if Newcastle were to stay up, most supporters seem to think stagnation is the best-case scenario.
The mood at the club could sink even further.
Many Toon fans respond to defiant Bruce
“If he’s still in charge at the start of next season I can guarantee our best players will have left or be looking to leave, and SJP will be an absolutely toxic place. The man is hated by fans and most of his players.”
“If Steve Bruce is still in charge next season MA will have to give away a hell of a lot more than 10 thousand season tickets this time….”
“Has no journalist told him a recent survey found that 97 percent of fans want him out?”
“So he wants the opportunity to relegate us from the Championship too?”
“I hope not he would make us do a Sunderland”
“Least we’ll get to see some Derbies”
“If he stay we get to look forward to another relegation battle season, that’s if #NUFC even stay up.”
“No. Just no. This can’t happen”
“Oh dear me”