Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has admitted he is not qualified to talk about issues pertaining to the Saudi Arabian ownership of the club.
The Magpies are owned by a Saudi-backed consortium, with direct ties to the country's leadership.
Howe was asked over the weekend about his opinion regarding many executions that took place in Saudi recently.
"In the modern world part of my job is to know what's going on around the world and I'm reading up on that," Howe said during a recentpre-match press conference.
"I respect [pundits] Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher's opinion and I get on well with them. I've no issue with what they said. But ultimately it's my right to say what I need to say."
Howe added: "It's a difficult one for everyone concerned. I understand the questions have to be asked, I've got no problem with that.
"From my perspective - and I've always maintained this - my specialist subject is football. It's what I know, it's what I've trained to do.
"As soon as I deviate from that into an area where I don't feel qualified to have a huge opinion, I think I go into dangerous ground, so I prefer to stick to what I believe I know.
"I'm hugely proud to represent this football club and the supporters and the city and I'm trying to create a team the city can be proud of, and all my energy is going into that and will continue to.
"Obviously part of my job now in the modern football management scene is to know what's going on around the world, and I will have to do that.
"But football will have to be and will always be my passion and it will always be the main crux of my job, and I think that's where my time needs to be spent."
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