Ben Rutten says he still has the support of his players amid speculation he could soon be sacked as coach of AFL club Essendon.
Ben Rutten says speculation he could soon be sacked as Essendon coach isn't ideal but he remains committed to finishing the AFL season.
Rutten's tenure as coach of the Bombers is under intense pressure after a board spill on Monday.
Paul Brasher, one of Rutten's biggest supporters, has been replaced as the club's president by David Barham.
The new regime has announced an external football department review amid widespread speculation the Bombers will try and lure four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson.
"It's not ideal obviously," Rutten told the Nine Network as he arrived at Essendon training on Tuesday.
"I have got the confidence of the players. I have got a job to do and I am going to coach to the best I can in the next five days."
Bombers captain Dyson Heppell said Rutten remained supported by the players.
"He has certainly got all our support," Heppell said when arriving at training.
"We will see how things pan out over the coming weeks and see what goes on."
Essendon will miss this year's finals - they're 15th on the ladder ahead of their last game this season, against Richmond on Saturday night.
Clarkson, who coached Hawthorn to four flags before taking time away from the sport this year, is also being sought by North Melbourne and GWS.
And Essendon great Matthew Lloyd believed Clarkson's confrontational style was exactly what the Bombers need.
Lloyd does not believe Rutten, who is nearing the end of his second year as Essendon coach and is contracted for 2023, will survive beyond this weekend.
"He (Clarkson) is the best candidate out there," Lloyd told Sportsday on Monday night.
"Alastair is quite a confronting person ... to me, that is what this football club needs because they've made little minor adjustments but at the end of the day it doesn't get the club anywhere.
"My opinion is, on what I've seen this year, I wouldn't go with Ben Rutten next year."
Essendon have not won a final since 2004 but Lloyd was heartened by Barham's appointment as president.
"This is the first time that you think things could seriously change for the better," he said.
