Alan Pardew will be Newcastle United manager come next season, after holding talks with owner Mike Ashley.
The manager's future had come under scrutiny in recent weeks after the Magpies, who finished an impressive fifth in the 2011-12 season, only just about managed to stave off relegation thanks to a nervy 2-1 win over Queens Park Rangers in the penultimate game of the English Premier League season.
However, it always looked like the manager, who signed a new eight-year deal in September, would remain at the helm at St James' Park with Pardew, whose future was reportedly not discussed, holding high-profile talks with Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias to chart the way forward.
Now the pressure will be back on Pardew to improve drastically from the recently concluded season, with Newcastle expecting a top-ten finish at the very least.
"Everyone connected with the club was disappointed to finish where we did last season, particularly on the back of such a fantastic year prior to that," Llambias told the club's official website.
"Our discussions on Wednesday were very constructive and we pinpointed a number of factors that contributed to a season which fell below expectations.
"We are now looking forward and are entirely focused on the forthcoming campaign, with the expectation of at least a top-10 finish in the Premier League.
"There has been a great deal of speculation in recent weeks but our desire, as we announced back in September, is to bring long-term stability to this club.
"It's up to us all now to work closely as a team to ensure next season sees us competing in the top half of the table again.
"We would all like to thank the fans for their continued support and assure them we remain committed to providing affordable football at St James' Park."
Newcastle are in the transfer market for a striker, with St. Etienne forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reportedly back on the club's radar.
The Magpies failed in a bid to bring in the 23-year-old in January, but will hope a fresh offer in the summer transfer window will tempt the French club to sell the striker, who had a good season in Ligue 1.
The likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham have also been linked with Aubameyang in the past, but it does not look like any of those clubs will be reigniting their interest, with competition for Newcastle likely to come from Paris Saint Germain, Monaco and clubs in Italy and Germany.
