Steve Bruce's future as the Birmingham City manager will be decided today when he meets the board of directors in the wake of relegation from the Premiership.
Bruce will not be sacked and David Gold, the Birmingham chairman, would be "surprised" if the manager was not in charge when the season begins in August.
However, while the meeting at Sullivan's mansion at Theydon Bois in Esse, is ostensibly to discuss staffing levels, contracts and budgets, the situation concerning Bruce will be discussed.
Gold has made it clear that Bruce is "the right man to lead Birmingham to promotion from the Coca-Cola Championship", but that does not guarantee that the manager will still be in charge after today.
Bruce could resign. He could decide that diminishing budget levels, which are inevitable for a relegated club, are inappropriate and would therefore make his task difficult. David Sullivan who, along with Gold, is a Birmingham co-owner, has been less publicly supportive of Bruce.
Bruce, who earned about £1.2 million a year in the Premiership, is likely to take a wage cut in the Coca-Cola Championship. "I can't comment on Steve's salary as that is personal, but I don't know of a manager who has dropped from the Premiership to the Championship and not had their salary adjusted," said Gold.
The squad, the best seen at the club since 1981, is likely to be revamped in time for next season. The meeting today will be the start of the revolution. "Steve Bruce is under pressure," Gold said.
"I am under pressure. David Sullivan is under pressure. That is the nature of the job we do but do I think that Steve Bruce is the right man for us? Yes, I do and I would be surprised if he is not our manager when the season begins.
"We all believe he is the man who can take us out of the Championship and back into the Premiership."
"The board want him to be our manager next season and this meeting isn't unusual. "We do it every season and then David and I have a few days' break in Marbella.
"There will be a smaller budget for next season but I would be very surprised if he wasn't our manager."
Bruce, however, is more cautious when discussing next season. Unusually, he will not be holding a press conference prior to the match away to Bolton Wanderers on Sunday and it is understood that he is genuinely disenchanted with life after Birmingham's relegation. It is as if he has taken it all personally.
Yet Gold sees enough in Bruce's demeanour to suggest that the manager will not resign today.
"As I've said, I knew when Terry Cooper was going to resign," Gold said. "And I could tell that Trevor Francis was going to resign but with Steve Bruce I can see it in his eyes that he wants to stay and take us back into the Premiership."
Rumours are rife that Muzzy Izzet, the Birmingham midfield player, might be forced to quit playing because of a persistent knee injury.
The club is also worried about the fitness of David Dunn, the winger, who has only completed 90 minutes on two occasions in the past two years.
* David Gold will be signing copies of his book, Pure Gold, at the Birmingham City club shop at 2pm today.
