Alan Irvine is not for turning after confirming he is in charge for Norwich City's next three Championship tussles.

The Scot is still adamant he will not apply for the new head coach role, but gets a triple chance to press his claims to become Alex Neil's successor.

'I have been told I will be looking after Villa, Huddersfield and Reading, and then I would get an update after that,' he said. 'The training has certainly had my stamp on it, we have done things I like to do but my brief is still the same. Keep things nice and steady, look after things until the changes are made. A lot of people maybe in my position would have seen it is a job application scenario. I have not approached it in that manner. I said right from the beginning I would not be applying. That is still the situation. I read after the Barnsley game Jonny Howson said nothing had changed and that pleased me. That was the instruction I was given. I wasn't asked to change anything.

'There is uncertainty of course. There is a lot of talk around the training ground about what is happening next. You hear bits and pieces but our job and my job is to make sure all of that is background noise, rather than something to focus on. Of course, sorting things out sooner than later is the ideal scenario because then the speculation goes away and everyone knows where they are. The players just have to get on with the job, just like the staff. I feel probably more for the staff than the players because this is less likely to affect the players.'

Irvine used the international break to prepare for the defining phase of a topsy turvy Championship season.

'Personally, I have enjoyed it. The players have been really good, worked hard and applied themselves,' he said. 'They obviously had some days off but this week we have been more focused on Aston Villa. Without it being stop start sessions, we have dripped in the detail more and more. I don't like international breaks and I don't know many managers or caretaker managers who do but it is part of the calendar and everyone else is in the same boat. Some people opt to play games during that first week. I felt the last thing we needed at this particular time was another game but there has been some big numbers, in terms of the physical output from the boys.'