John Carver to stay in charge of Newcastle until end of season

Steve McClaren remains high on Newcastle United’s shortlist after John Carver’s interim appointment offered confirmation of their decision to postpone the recruitment of a long-term successor to Alan Pardew until the summer.

Carver, who has served as caretaker coach since Pardew’s defection to Crystal Palace, wants the job long term and believes that over the next four months he will prove he is the outstanding candidate to take it on a permanent basis.

“This is a proud day for me,” said the 50-year-old. “I have worked with, and learnt from, the best manager that this football club has had in Sir Bobby Robson. I know what this club means to this city and its people. I believe in my players and the staff I have around me. I am confident we can deliver exciting, successful football and look forward with relish to my role as head coach of this great football club.”

Caught cold by Pardew’s unexpected exit last month, Newcastle have taken their time to reach this stage. Although Graham Carr, the influential chief scout, championed McClaren but no early approach was made as alternative candidates were assessed. With the days passing, the former England manager pledged his loyalty to Derby County until at least the end of the season, thus complicating Newcastle’s task. Even in the summer prising McClaren away promises to be extremely difficult but Carr and company have other contenders in mind.

Additional names on a shortlist of figures currently committed to alternative projects include St-Étienne’s Christophe Galtier, Ajax’s Frank de Boer and Thomas Tuchel, who is on extended gardening leave from Mainz. De Boer is understood to have had contact with Newcastle and hinted last week that he could be prepared to swap Ajax for Tyneside at the end of this season.

Lee Charnley, Newcastle’s managing director, who, assisted by Carr, is conducting the manager hunt on behalf of the owner, Mike Ashley, previously considered appointing Rémi Garde, the former Lyon coach and Arsenal defensive midfielder. Negotiations stalled when it became clear that Garde wanted to import his old coaching staff from Lyon, who would not be available until June, and there were also concerns regarding his decision to quit the Ligue 1 team blaming exhaustion last spring.

“At the beginning of this process it was my desire and intention to appoint an individual to the position of head coach who would be available to start immediately,” said Charnley. “Having now explored at some length the options available to us at this time, the decision has been taken to defer the appointment of a permanent head coach until the end of the season.

“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.

“John has a long history with the club and has the full support of the board. Our goal for the season of a minimum top-10 finish remains unchanged and we are confident that John, supported by the backroom staff, will be able to deliver this.”

Carver, who will be assisted by Steve Stone and Peter Beardsley, is still to win a game since stepping up from the assistant manager’s role he had held for the past four years to succeed Pardew. So far he has presided over a Premier League draw at home to Burnley, an FA Cup third-round defeat at Leicester and further League reverses at Chelsea and against Southampton at home.

Although Newcastle are 11th with 27 points, Saturday’s game at struggling Hull City has assumed vital importance for a coach initially promoted to prominence at St James’ Park by Ruud Gullit in 1998.

Carver later assisted Robson before moving on to become an assistant manager at Leeds United, Sheffield United and Plymouth Argyle and, briefly, a manager in his own right at Toronto in the MLS.