Leicester City vs Newcastle: Magpies keep faith with John Carver to avoid the drop after Foxes mauling
Toon are dragged into the relegation fight after Leicester defeat
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Your support makes all the difference.John Carver is expected to be given the green light to continue as Newcastle’s temporary head coach, despite leading the club on its worst ever run and publicly criticising the defender Mike Williamson.
Williamson issued an apology yesterday after Carver had claimed the central defender deliberately got himself sent off in the 3-0 defeat at Leicester City on Saturday to avoid having to play in two of the remaining three games in their relegation battle.
The player denied that accusation but did not directly mention Carver, or expand on the accusation, and his apology did not feature on the club’s official website.
Steve McClaren, whose season ended on Saturday without Derby County even reaching the Championship play-offs, is expected to take over in the summer, and Newcastle officials are not yet ready to panic and bring forward that appointment. Instead the club believe they still have enough in their squad to arrest a run of form that has been unprecedented in their history.
Newcastle had only previously lost six successive games on four occasions – one being last season under Alan Pardew – but the demoralising defeat at the King Power Stadium was their eighth on the trot.
Unless there is a dramatic change of heart, Carver, who has won only two of his 17 games in charge since Pardew moved to Crystal Palace in January, will lead the side into the remaining three matches of the season.
Newcastle face West Bromwich Albion at St James’ Park on Saturday before an away game at Queen’s Park Rangers and a visit from West Ham United – and former manager Sam Allardyce – on the final day of the season.
Sunderland’s 2-1 victory against Southampton moved them to within two points of their North-east rivals and manager Dick Advocaat admitted they had dragged their neighbours into the fight at the foot of the Premier League.
“We have also got closer to the teams above us and now maybe also Newcastle with 35 points and difficult games, but they also have to play some teams below us so I think it will go on until the end,” Advocaat said.
Newcastle’s latest capitulation came with staggering ineptitude, even by their recent standards. They conceded possession from their own kick-off and within 37 seconds of the game starting were behind when Leonardo Ulloa scored from a corner. Wes Morgan and Ulloa with a penalty completed the scoring.
Williamson clattered into Jamie Vardy in the 63rd minute for a second yellow card, which prompted Carver to say: “I thought he meant it. He will miss two games and I’m not accepting that. Is it an easy way out? Especially with the situation we’re in.”
That forced Williamson, who will be available only for the final game of the season, and has been told his contract will not be renewed in the summer, to respond: “There was absolutely no intent to hurt Jamie Vardy or get sent off but I recognise that I should have been more composed and measured in my determination to win the ball. Unfortunately, it did the one thing that I never wanted to do, and that was to hurt the team. I will do whatever I can to help team-mates prepare for the next two games and fight to get back into the team when I’m available.
“I’ve had the honour to play for Newcastle for five years now, and I can genuinely say that I feel privileged to play for this club. I would never do anything intentionally to hurt the team or its supporters.”
To compound Newcastle’s problems, Daryl Janmaat also picked up a second yellow card in injury-time.
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