Events away from the football side of the club have been at the fore, with a proposed takeover and the departure of vice-president Tony Jiminez grabbing headlines.

Kinnear is in daily contact with managing director Derek Llambias, and has spoken with owner Mike Ashley over the phone about last Sunday's game against Everton.

But the former Wimbledon boss has revealed he doesn't keep tabs on the club's sale, and is focused solely on football matters.

This is despite the departure of Jiminez – who was in charge of player recruitment along with Dennis Wise – ahead of January's transfer deadline, for which Kinnear could still be in charge.

The Magpies boss revealed: "I stay away from the political side of it, and I never even met Tony Jimenez.

"I don't know anything about the political side of things. That has been the same from day one.

"To be honest, I am not interested in anything apart from the football side of it."

Kinnear understandably has plenty on his plate at the moment, with Newcastle sitting in the Premier League relegation zone.

Mega-rich Manchester City are the visitors to St James's Park a week on Monday, before Newcastle travel to the Stadium of Light on October 25 for the Wear-Tyne derby.

The perilous nature of United's season will add spice to an already-tough fixture list, and Kinnear is determined to put thoughts on his own future to one side for the next few weeks.

He added: "I am strictly looking at things from a football point of view, and nothing else.

"All I am looking at is getting as many points as possible – that's what football is about.

"And when the confidence starts to come back, it will get a lot better in terms of points."