TOON MELTDOWN
Carver on brink but McClaren says ‘no’
NEWCASTLE United descended into chaos last night as it emerged t hat head coach John Carver offered to quit after Saturday’s def eat by Leicester City.
Carver told Newcastle managing director Lee Charnley he was prepared to step aside after admitting the players may not be listening to his instructions.
But when Derby boss Steve McClaren turned down the chance to replace Carver for the remaining three games of the season, the interim boss’ offer was turned down.
Instead, Carver will carry on despite a record of eight defeats in a row that has plunged Newcastle into a relegation fight — they are just two points off the drop zone.
Sportsmail can further report that Carver had a furious bust-up with his team at half-time of the 3-0 loss at the King Power Stadium, Newcastle’s eighth defeat in a row.
Training-ground talks yesterday were highly charged too, but the end result means it is carry on Carver.
McClaren has long been expected to take the reins at Newcastle in the summer, but i t emerged yesterday he did not want to come in now. Real Sociedad boss David Moyes was also being linked with the post last night.
McClaren held his own talks with Derby chief executive Sam Rush and gave further assurances he wanted to remain in charge next season t o mount a nother promotion bid. He will today address his players individually to discuss summer plans.
A Newcastle statement issued yesterday confirmed Carver would continue.
‘Following the result on Saturday, there has been two days of frank dialogue with John Carver and senior players,’ it read.
‘The outcome of those discussions is that the board, John, his staff and players are absolutely focused on our current situation and the three hugely important fixtures that remain this season, two of which are at St James’ Park. All parties accept responsibility for the current situation but are determined, together, to ensure this club — your club — retains its Premier League status.’
Newcastle fans reacted with astonishment to the statement, with many taking to social media to express their fears that the decision could cost them their top-flight status.
Mark Jensen, editor of the Newcastle fans’ magazine themag. co.uk, said: ‘Just when you think things can’t get any worse, the club put a feeble statement out saying it’s business as usual.
‘I personally don’t know a single Newcastle fan who thinks Carver is the right man for the job, but if you talk about a change you have to question who in their right mind would want to walk into this total mess.
‘This has been coming for a long time — it is a carbon copy of last season when we had a few more points on the board, and the season before that we also nearly went down.
‘If other clubs continue to pick up points I think we will go down. I don’t think any fans have hope of getting any more points ourselves. If we stay up, it will only be due to the shortcomings of others.’
Carver will somehow have to unite a fragmented dressing room for three crucial fixtures against West Bromwich Albion, Queens Park Rangers and West Ham United.
In the aftermath of the Leicester defeat, he attacked his players for a lack of desire, commitment and quality, and also accused defender Mike Williamson of deliberately getting sent off for a foul on Jamie Vardy.
Williamson issued a statement refuting that claim and apologising to supporters and team- mates, but notably not Carver. Daryl Janmaat, who was dismissed for a second booking against Leicester, was called ‘stupid’ by Carver.
‘I have to admit there’s a chance they’re just not listening to me,’ said Carver of his players. ‘But it might be a lot of other things — we might not be good enough, we might not have enough desire to want to defend in the box or score at the other end.’
A group of supporters gathered by t he t eam bus after t he Leicester loss, shouting ‘spineless cowards’ as each player boarded. ‘ I can’t disagree with them,’ admitted Carver.
Fans spent the match chanting against billionaire owner Ashley, singing: ‘You fat f****** b****** get out of our club.’
Sunderland, in t he f i nal relegation place, can overtake Newcastle by winning their game in hand. The visit of West Ham on the final day looms large given the manner of Sam Allardyce’s Newcastle dismissal by owner Mike Ashley in 2008. Yesterday, the squad attended the club’s Darsley Park training centre for a meeting on their own as they look for the win that could keep the club in the top flight.
Coaching staff were excluded f rom the summit, which was attended by first-team players ahead of a warm-down session and massages for those who played on Saturday.
This is the not the first time the players have held a meeting during Newcastle’s depressing run, but the slump has continued. A Newcastl e source told Sportsmail: ‘It’s just meetings about meetings.’
Carver has been attempting to develop a siege mentality at the club following a run of results that has left Newcastle two points above the drop zone.
At half-time at Leicester, it has emerged that the players were deliberately provoked by coaching staff in an attempt to get a reaction after the break. By then they were 2-0 down following a first-minute goal by Leonardo Ulloa and the 17th-minute effort by Leicester defender Wes Morgan.
Amid fiery exchanges, the players were told they were so bad they would be practising kick- offs in training this week because they had surrendered possession so easily. Just three minutes after the restart, they conceded a third goal when Ulloa scored again, this time from the penalty spot.
Although Newcastle’s future hinges on the next three games, Ashley was warned about potential problems at the club by former manager Pardew last summer.
During Newcastle’s tour to New Zealand, Pardew expressed reservations about the squad and warned the executive they would face a relegation battle.
Pardew, now in charge at Crystal Palace, has been proved right after a run of defeats that began when Newcastle lost 1-0 at home to Manchester United on March 4.