A spirited 2-2 draw in Joe Kinnear’s first match in charge stabilised the on-field position at Newcastle United – whose future ownership should become clearer tomorrow – but the interim manager remains a contentious figure. Kinnear was ushered away from the players’ tunnel at Goodison Park by police yesterday after he attempted to defy his touchline ban by passing messages to the dugout.

After five successive defeats, Newcastle climbed one place in the Barclays Premier League, to eighteenth, courtesy of a strong comeback and a point on Merseyside, after which Kinnear confirmed on television that he would continue to boycott the written media – and then spoke to them. On Thursday the 61-year-old launched an expletive-filled tirade against journalists over what he perceived as negative reporting.

Banished to the directors’ box for two matches for an offence that dates back to his ill-starred spell at Nottingham Forest, which ended in 2004, the Irishman missed both Newcastle goals either side of half-time as he made his way to and from the dressing-room. At one stage he also shouted instructions to his coaching staff.

Kinnear’s presence – prohibited under the terms of his suspension – was noted by the fourth official, who asked a policeman to intervene. The matter will be drawn to the attention of the FA, although Newcastle will feel that, in the wider context, Kinnear’s encouragement of a siege mentality has been worthwhile. Overall, he had a decent debut, with his team recovering from a two-goal deficit.

“It was a bit similar to the Crazy Gang,” the former Wimbledon manager said. “I was racing down at half-time when the first goal was scored and then I was racing back up again. I wanted to get some information on to the bench and then, of course, the busy police got busy as usual and sent me back upstairs again and in between all that I missed all the goals. But it was a great effort by everybody concerned.”

There will also be concrete developments regarding the club’s next owners this week. Having being given ten days to study a four-page “teaser” document that outlined Newcastle’s financial circumstances, potential buyers have until tomorrow to submit formal declarations of interest to Seymour Pierce, the investment bank charged with handling the sale.

Concrete interest has emerged from seven bidders in the United States, the Middle East and the Far East – believed to include China – with Keith Harris, the respected executive chairman of Seymour Pierce, understood to be optimistic that Newcastle may be in new hands by mid-November. Mike Ashley, the Newcastle owner, is looking for a fee in the region of £250-300 million.

Confidentiality clauses have also been signed, a detail that further compromises the vocal claims of consortiums originating from Nigeria and South Africa, neither of whom have been taken seriously. “I want to leave this club in a good way,” Kinnear said. “I want to be able to walk out of here, if and when that time is, with things in a better state than they are now.”