TOON MUST GET RID OF CARVER
Even survival can’t hide need for new manager
RELATIVELY speaking, Newcastle United have had a good weekend. But that’s the problem with the club these days. Everything has to be placed in the context of just what a wretched mess they are in.
Here on Tyneside on Saturday, Newcastle’s football was relatively committed and focused. Their supporters were relatively encouraging and the result a relatively good one. Afterwards, their manager John Carver was relatively sensible.
Because they hadn’t lost — for the first time since February — and because Hull had taken nothing from their game with Burnley, the temptation was to talk everything up. It wasn’t an offer Carver and his players needed to hear twice.
‘This was a huge result,’ said Carver. ‘The performance was really pleasing.’
Newcastle forward Papiss Cisse, meanwhile, was on the front foot. ‘Today it was positive to get one point,’ he said.
The bald truth, however, is that the only positive thing about Newcastle’s predicament right now i s Hull’s remaining fixtures. If Steve Bruce’s team lose at Tottenham and at home to Manchester United, Newcastle will be safe. There, to all intent and purposes, the good news ends.
Newcastle were modest at best. They deserved their point but it was West Brom who struck the frame of the goal twice. If Carver and his bunch of peculiarly assembled players are to survive, they will be down among the dead men once again next year and this time, with a new TV deal kicking in for Barclays Premier League clubs, the stakes will be even higher.
What is abundantly clear is that Newcastle need to find themselves a proper manager. It’s hard to find anybody in the game to say a bad word about Carver and he is certainly not the root of the problem at the club.
West Brom manager Tony Pulis was the latest to join the chorus. ‘I don’t think there will be much change at this football club,’ said Pulis. ‘Mike Ashley is very loyal to whom he appoints. He sticks with managers.’
Pulis had a point but Carver is an exceptional case. Both on the touchline and away from it, he looks like a man not in tune with his team and sadly unable to deal with the hoohah that comes with the job at this level.
Pulis himself was filled with adrenaline — bouncing around the technical area, blood pressure no doubt pounding in his ears — and his team essentially had very little to play for. The difference, though, is that Pulis can cope.
‘The big thing about managing at the bottom is that you have to handle stress,’ said Pulis.Puli ‘It can get to you. You get sleepsleepless nights and stuff. ‘YYou have to be able to handle it anand handle players and make ssure nothing spills over and yyou don’t get involved in anything stupid. It comes with experience, and a bit of courage.’
Carver may not want for guts oor friends but as regards the otother categories put forward by PuPulis he doesn’t score highly. AfteAfter the game he chose not to speak sseparately to daily newspaper reporters. By all accounts, he feels recent comments have not been placed in their proper context. That being the case, then, let’s ignore the drivel so often spoken after football matches these days and place this result and indeed Newcastle’s situation in its proper context.
This was not some giant leap forward for Newcastle United and their incapable manager. This was not a corner turned. To do that, a team have to win games, they have to control their own destiny in a manner now familiar to followers of Aston Villa, Leicester City and indeed West Brom.
This was just another afternoon of nothingness at St James’ Park, a day when the only thing to make a Geordie smile took place many miles away on Humberside.
The proper context in which to place Newcastle this summer is the one that cries out for change. The owner won’t leave. Sadly, the current manager has to. SUPER STAT: Anichebe’s goal was the 900th scored in the Premier League this season. NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-1-4-1): Krul 6.5; Anita 6 (Abeid 90min), Coloccini 6.5, Dummett 6, Gutierrez 5.5; Taylor 6; Cabella 6, Colback 6.5, Sissoko 7, Perez 6.5 (Ameobi 84); Riviere 5.5 (Cisse 67, 6). Subs not used: Gouffran, Satka, Woodman, Aarons. Booked: Gutierrez, Taylor. Scorer: Perez 42. WEST BROMWICH ALBION (4-4-1-1): Myhill 6.5; Dawson 6.5, McAuley 6.5, Olsson 6, Lescott 7; Gardner 6.5 (Berahino 67, 6.5), Jacob 7, Fletcher 7.5, Brunt 7; Mulumbu 6.5 (Morrison 55, 6); Anichebe 6.5 (McManaman 77). Subs not used: Rose, Wisdom, Baird, Ideye. Booked: Dawson, Morrison, Jacob. Scorer: Anichebe 32. Man of the match: Darren Fletcher. Referee: Chris Foy 7.