John Carver has managed Newcastle in seven games so far since Alan Pardew left the club and he has 13 league games left to prove himself at Newcastle – and very single one of them will be important.
Is Carver really changing things from the way they were?
It’s interesting that Alan Pardew managed Newcastle for exactly half of the season, and the win at home to Everton was our 19th league game, and after that game we had 26 points and were in 9th place with a goal difference of -6.
John Carver has six points from the six league games he’s managed so that’s off the pace of our first 19 games, and we are currently in 11th place on 32 points from 25 games played.
[table “33” not found /]There has been almost a PR campaign for John Carver seemingly going on this week, and words of support from Managing Director Lee Charnley, who has asked the Newcastle fans to back the head coach.
And even in the local papers there have been claims John is turning the tactics upside down at Newcastle, but we have yet to see much evidence of that in the games.
Some of the players have said that John is changing things on and off the pitch, and it will take a little bit of time for the results of the changes to manifest themselves – so we’ll all have to be patient.
John is said to have set up a tactical war-room at the Benton training grounds, which has canvas prints of goal celebrations and team huddles of the players.
A sign on the wall says ‘It is not about blame, we are all accountable’ – and he has stressed the squad is all important over any one individual player.
And since John was in charge of team spirit when Alan Pardew was in charge, the team spirit has remained high.
The squad also goes over the video of previous games, and the players can see what they did right and what they did wrong and learn from the mistakes made.
U-18 coach Dave Watson, who was caretaker manager of Everton for a while in 1997 after Joe Royle resigned, has been drafted in to sort out the defense.
And there have been signs we are more solid than we were, and conceded only two goals in our last three games, in which we gained 5 points.
Newcastle’s 21 year-old Ayoze Perez has been told he must get himself into more dangerous positions in the penalty box more often, and it looks like every player has been told what he needs to do to improve his game.
And Carver has explained how he expects Manchester City to set up their attacks against Newcastle today, so it seems there has been a lot of work going on.
Certainly the time has been available to do that since we hardly have a cluttered run-in to the league for the second season in a row.
There has also not been too much news about Newcastle for the last 10 days, since we were not involved in the FA Cup last weekend, so some of this news may just be fill from the press, during a scant news cycle.
But not many fans who saw the game at Selhurst Park will think much has changed at all, and we sent in defensive reinforcements as soon as Palace equalized in the second half and hung on for a point and then said a point against a relegation side was really a good point.
It was certainly better than losing to them we suppose – and that would have been a disaster against Alan Pardew’s new club.
And the Newcastle fans have not really taken to John so far, and it’s all well and good reading how things are changing dramatically and all that good stuff, and Lee Charnley trying to tell us that John has done well so far.
But that is hard to justify from his record.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating – it’s called getting results – and we’ll see if Newcastle can play well this afternoon and maybe even get a point.
Certainly we need to see continuing improvement with John Carver in charge – and to tell the truth we haven’t seen much of that at all.
Not yet anyway.
A win would be fantastic this afternoon. 😀
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16 comments so far
Tsunki
Feb 21, 2015 at 8:46 AM
Comment #1I hope the pr machine at nufc runs on red diesel ‘ cause it’s running flat out churning out Carver medals.
Alternative Headline
Feb 21, 2015 at 8:46 AM
Comment #2lol ! speechless
Ibizatoon
Feb 21, 2015 at 8:49 AM
Comment #3Alternative..I’ve been sat quite a few minutes working out what it is I have to say about this.
You’ve summed it up best.
I’m surprised there’s not one of those cat posters with “hang on in there” on the wall of this tactical war room.
Ibizatoon
Feb 21, 2015 at 8:50 AM
Comment #4As for you Tsunki, enjoyed your KFR last night?
Ron Knee
Feb 21, 2015 at 8:52 AM
Comment #5The usual PR blah blah. If Carver can limit the deafeat to 2-0 he’ll hail it as a victory.
Jeff from Benwell
Feb 21, 2015 at 8:55 AM
Comment #6Ultimately John Carver’s fate is in the hands of the club’s players.
His strategy , tactics , and game plan are all key , but if the players don’t show 100% for him then he’s doomed.
The club PR machine can churn out stories about how much the players rate him and new times at Benton but it’s the 90 minutes at the Etihad that matter.
I think Sissoko who should be pivotal has looked some what disinterested the last couple of games. That could possibly be , he didn’t rate the standard of the opposition , well he can have no complaints in that department today. He and his fellow midfielders Colback Abeid and a.n. other are going to have to work their socks off to avoid being overrun today. Perversely, whilst fearing the worst, I am quite looking forward to teatime
lesh
Feb 21, 2015 at 8:58 AM
Comment #7I wonder whether it’s ever occurred to whoever’s bigging Carver up that they might just be having the opposite effect.
Some of it is incredulous and it’s going over the top.
If Carver’s got what it takes to be appointed Head Coach permanently, then results under him should do the talking.
A coach could be the biggest tw@t in the land but if he’s got ambition, has his side playing well and getting the points, fans would accept him.
Less bullshit please!
welshgeordie9
Feb 21, 2015 at 9:03 AM
Comment #8Yeah right, carver couldn’t organise a piss-up in a brewery.
Average_Contents
Feb 21, 2015 at 9:06 AM
Comment #9From the last thread.
Willo? Bony? Together? Pmsl. Yes john I can see how the limited mobility and ability willo likes playing against the super sharp and extremely deadly bony. Fcuk me what’s he on?
Don’t talk wet.
Lesh
On john being “made up” that cisse wasn’t sold and thanking penfold for it – if enough was offered he’d of been away and johnny boy knows this although I’m sure you know that too so it’s another lickarse moment as far as I’m concerned.
Rotonda heights
Feb 21, 2015 at 9:08 AM
Comment #10hasn’t stopped him making some very average subs in nearly every game.
tactical genius, i think not and the ” are you pardew in disgiuse” pretty close to the mark.
Alternative Headline
Feb 21, 2015 at 9:28 AM
Comment #11cheers Ibiza. I also hear he has a ‘winners’ gallery of inspirational characters on Benton’s toilet door – Gandhi, David Brent, Rocky, Lassie…
but sadly noone sees them as there’s never any bog roll in there.
Sav
Feb 21, 2015 at 9:31 AM
Comment #12Of course MiniMike is coming out in support of JC. He failed to get anyone else in to do the job so he has to make it look like a positive decision not a failure to make one. In the corporate world you don’t compound a mistake by admitting to it.
Average_Contents
Feb 21, 2015 at 9:33 AM
Comment #13What I don’t get is, why is Steve stone coaching the forwards? A run of the mill midfielder?
Surely a forward should coach the forwards! Another cost cutting exercise by the club no doubt. Making do because we’re run on the bare minimum. It’s like a striker coaching the goalkeeper full time. Fcuking stupid as small things like this tend to have a bigger impact than you’d think.
Not really surprised in all honesty though as very little does nowadays.
Fat slimy cheaparse slug out!
Obertan's better than Messi
Feb 21, 2015 at 9:41 AM
Comment #14Very clever watching videos of games.
That Carver’s a cunning devil.
I wonder if he has a Subuteo pitch set up in the middle of the war room?
lochinvar
Feb 21, 2015 at 9:55 AM
Comment #15A sign on the wall says ‘It is not about blame, we are all accountable’ – and Carver has stressed the squad is all important over any one individual player.
Well that says it all ,
a negative statement that says “be prepared to fail ”
No doubt his idea is based on the success of The Ryder Cup team preparations but it reeks of ” me too” approach. Hope the fish in the tanks are black and white. Come on John don’t follow, lead.
tweeds
Feb 21, 2015 at 11:45 AM
Comment #16Lets give Carver til the end of the season and then judge him, it’s no use jumping all over the guy because he doesn’t change our fortunes in a few games, if it’s still the same at the end of the year then at least there is reasonable arguement to remove the man, and if we do get someone else does everyone really expect a sudden turn around in results ? players to become better players ? I’m not convinced that Carver is the right man for the job, but i’m not convinced he’s not the right man for the job either, but he’s there now so lets give him a chance and not put him down at every turn