By Ian Palmer
Fifty-year-old John Carver has been named the fulltime manager of English Premier League club Newcastle United until the end of the 2014/15 season. Carver takes over from former boss Alan Pardew who left the team several weeks ago to join Premier League rivals Crystal Palace of London. Carver was working as an assistant to Pardew and was handed the manager’s job on an interim basis when Pardew left. However, the club couldn’t find a high-profile name to take over, so have given the job to Carver for the time being.
Carver has already been in charge of the team for four games and has yet to post a win on the scoreboard. After being named manager he told the press, “This is a proud day for me. I am confident that we can deliver exciting successful football and look forward with relish to my role as head coach of this great club. I know what this team means to this city and its people. I believe in my players and the staff I have around me.”
Newcastle brass has made it known that the club still intends to look for a permanent manager at the end of the season and the chances are it won’t be Carver. The team released a statement which read, “The head coach will be a long-term appointment that will play a major role in shaping the future on-field progression of Newcastle United and it is vitally important that we get the right individual.”
It’s believed that Newcastle is interested in Frank de Boer of Dutch club Ajax as well as Remi Garde of French Ligue 1 side Lyon. Carver’s squad blew the lead three times in his first game in charge and had to settle to a 3-3 home draw against Burnley. They then lost their next three matches with him at the helm. The club is 11th in the Premier League standings, but sit just eight points ahead of the relegation zone. Carver will get another chance to record his first win of the season when Newcastle visits Hull City on January 31.
For Carver to become a serious candidate for the permanent manager’s job he’s going to have to guide the team to an excellent finish over the remainder of the season and earn a top-10 finish. However, with the way Newcastle’s been playing under him that seems to be quite a long shot. Oddsmakers have Newcastle at 28/1 to be relegated this season.
