Joe Kinnear has insisted he is no fool as he attempts to relaunch his football career at an in trouble Newcastle United.

The 61-year-old yesterday accepted the role of caretaker manager at St James' Park until the end of October - and with it the task of trying to drag the Magpies out of a downward spiral that is threatening to suck them into a mire of their own making.

Kinnear was offered the job after Terry Venables declined to take the stop-gap post, three weeks after Kevin Keegan's resignation sparked yet another crisis on Tyneside.

However, while he knows his long-term future will not lie on Gallowgate, Kinnear is hoping to remind the game of the qualities that brought him to prominence at Wimbledon, Luton and Nottingham Forest.

Kinnear told talkSPORT: "I'm not scared of a fight. I'm going in with my eyes open and if I do have a successful spell, then you don't know where it will lead.

"I'm not daft enough not to know that they have tried everyone else and everybody else has turned their back on it.

"What I intend to do is make an instant improvement at the club. After that, of course, I know that I won't be there."

Kinnear will take over at St James' on Monday after Chris Hughton's spell as caretaker draws to a close with today's Barclays Premier League clash against Blackburn.

But he knows he may be in charge for only a matter of weeks as owner Mike Ashley, who did the deal himself, attempts to sell the club he bought only 16 months ago.

Kinnear said: "He [Ashley] made it quite clear that he hopes to have the club sold by the beginning of October.

"I worked it out that I would be in charge for between six and eight games.

"But he assures me that they have a buyer and the consortium coming in have Kevin Keegan lined up, and possibly Alan Shearer.

"I'm well aware of the situation. Good luck to Kevin if he's coming back in. He's the fans' choice and you know what the fans are like, they call the tune in many respects.

"I just hope they realise I'm in there doing the best I can.

"I have good experience of the game and I have never been one to back down from a challenge - and this is a big one.

"The worrying thing for me is that there are nine players injured long-term, and all nine would be in the side."

A Nigerian consortium has made much of the running, publicly at least, in the race to buy out Ashley since a failed mission to Dubai to find a buyer.

It is understood, however, that investment bankers Seymour Pierce, Ashley's negotiators, have been approached by more than one potential buyer.

The Nigerians have made no secret of their intention to reinstall Keegan, who at one stage held talks with Ashley over a possible return, but was unable to resolve his differences with the billionaire.