The welcome progress off the pitch at Newcastle United yesterday was not matched on it. Joe Kinnear arrived at a near-deserted training ground on his first full day in charge so, as the Nigerian consortium attempting to buy the troubled club confirmed that it had tabled a bid, the interim manager’s efforts to whip his underperforming squad into shape for his imminent successor were put on hold for 24 hours.

While Joey Barton, Danny Guthrie, José Enrique and Shola Ameobi — all absent from the team because of injury or suspension — worked with Chris Hughton, the former caretaker manager, the remaining senior players enjoyed a barely earned day off after a fifth consecutive defeat, 2-1 at home to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.

Kinnear resisted the urge to cancel all leave in the wake of a calamitous start to the season. Meanwhile, the on-field malaise that leaves Newcastle one place off the bottom of the Barclays Premier League has not deterred up to seven interested parties, all believed to be from overseas, declaring a desire to buy the club from Mike Ashley, the billionaire owner who is making progress in his efforts to relinquish control 16 months into his tenure.

Kinnear, who could be at the helm for as few as the four Premier League matches Newcastle are scheduled to play in October, used his day to familiarise himself with the club’s backroom staff before his first opportunity to work with the players in training this morning. The Irishman will be unable to coach his charges from the dugout on match days until the visit by Manchester City on October 20. On Sunday, when Newcastle are away to Everton, he will serve the second of a two-game touchline ban for branding a referee “Coco the Clown” during his previous spell in management, at Nottingham Forest four years ago.

Confidence among the players is low and Kinnear’s much-vaunted powers of motivation will be tested to the full. “You can see people curling up and shrinking in a way,” Michael Owen, the captain, said. “Vice versa, when you play well, you see people wanting the ball and making angles. Once confidence goes, it’s hard to get out of that rut. We can use the uncertainty as an excuse if we want, but it’s not a good enough excuse.”

At least developments away from the training ground were more positive. The scepticism that greeted the Nigerians’ declaration of interest last week waned after the consortium confirmed a bid had been forwarded to Seymour Pierce, the investment bank handling the sale, late on Friday. The sum involved is to be confirmed, but it is believed to be more than double the £130 million Ashley paid to take control of the club in May last year, since when he has spent a similar figure on stabilising the debt he inherited.

Chris Nathaniel, the British-based businessman who is fronting the Nigerian bid, had indicated that the consortium has up to £300 million at its disposal. Kevin Keegan, the former manager, is among the favourites to take charge for what would be the third time if the bid proves successful.

Although Nathaniel was more reticent with his figures last night, he is hopeful of a swift resolution. “We can’t \ at this stage,” he said. “That’s confidential between ourselves and Newcastle, but a bid was put in on Friday evening. As far as I know we are the only official bid to have been put in. I’m sure they will wait for other bids and make a decision on which one to accept. There’s been no timeline given by Newcastle but we hope it will be sometime soon.”

The offer appears to be of the “take it or leave it” variety. “One thing is for sure, we will not get involved in a bidding war,” Nathaniel said. “Money has been earmarked for transfers, money to buy the club and money to deal with the various deep-rooted issues behind the club like the academy.

“What they \ don’t want to do is spend a load of money to buy the club, have no money to buy players and work on what is a quite a troubled infrastructure. A budget has been put in place and my instructions are they do not want to go over that.”