Newcastle interim manager John Carver said his future at the club could turn on a late penalty decision that was not given in the Magpie's 2-1 defeat to Newcastle on Thursday.
Newcastle are still waiting for their first victory of 2015 and their first under John Carver's caretaker charge, and the temporary boss felt that referee Robert Madley should have pointed to the penalty spot in stoppage time.
The hosts were aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty when substitute Emmanuel Riviere's shot appeared to hit Jose Fonte's arm.
Carver explained why he thought the penalty should have been awarded, saying: "When you've played football you understand what is and what isn't a penalty.
"If somebody's got their arms down by their sides and it hits their arms you can say that they didn't mean it, but when you have an L-shape with your arm and it blatantly hits your hand it's a penalty.
"Unfortunately sometimes big decisions like that can make a big difference to people's livelihoods and futures."
When asked if he thought his chances of landing the Newcastle job permanently had been scuppered by the defeat, Carver said: "Absolutely. You've got to win football matches and although we played well in 45 minutes against Burnley, well in 45 minutes against Chelsea and I thought we handled the game quite well, unfortunately we didn't have the cutting edge in the final third."
Carver insists, however, he has what it takes to succeed if appointed to the St James' Park hotseat on a full-time basis.
"Absolutely, I know I can," he went on to say. "We've come up against a side who are sitting third in the Premiership, so it's no disgrace but I thought we dominated the game and we just have to have a bit more ambition in the final third."
Managing director Lee Charnley and chief scout Graham Carr have been handed the task of identifying Pardew's successor and have already spoken to a series of candidates, with Remi Garde, Christophe Galtier, Steve McClaren and Thomas Tuchel reportedly among the list of names they drew up some time ago.
Newcastle do not play again until they visit Hull on Jan. 31 -- Carver and the players head for a mid-season break in Dubai on Sunday -- and the 50-year-old is hoping for a resolution during that fortnight.
He said: "I hope so. I have had no conversations again since we last spoke on Thursday. I have totally focussed on this game today. "I still love what I do, I still want to do it, there's no danger of that. But sometimes, it's out of your hands."
Asked if he wanted an end to the uncertainty, he said: "Absolutely, I think everybody does. "I think I do, I think all the staff do, I think all the players do, I think the crowd certainly does and I am sure you guys do, so yes."
Information from Press Association was used in this report.