John Carver Must Step Aside For Newcastle United To Survive

At half-time on Saturday at St James' Park, Swansea City manager Garry Monk made one slight adjustment to his side, dropping Jack Cork slightly deeper and giving Jefferson Montero more of a licence to head forward, and suddenly the game was over for Newcastle United. John Carver's plan unravelled before his very eyes - and he did not have the tactical nous to be able to claw the match back, as the Magpies succumbed to a 3-2 loss that left them just five points above the dropzone with four games remaining. Unfortunately, as much as Toon fans may have wanted local-boy John Carver to succeed, it simply hasn't happened - and, for the good of the club he loves, it is time he stepped aside and let someone else try to salvage something from the wreckage that is Newcastle United right now and keep the Magpies up. If they stay up this season, a huge rebuilding job will still be needed in the summer, but the former must be secured first. Carver's stats are nothing short of abysmal: in 15 matches, he has overseen 10 defeats, three draws and just two victories. He has witnessed his side lose seven Premier League matches in a row, meaning that statistically Carver has overseen the worst top-flight run at the club since Richard Dinnis' disastrous time in charge in 1977.

As much as fans want Carver to stick around in some capacity - he has worked under the likes of Sir Bobby Robson, a fact he mentions a little too often in all honesty - they know he is not the man to be in the dugout. There are only so many times you can hear him talk about how he has the "fight", the "passion" and the "determination" to succeed and keep Newcastle in the Premier League - eventually, as Carver even admitted himself, "actions speak louder than words". And Newcastle need action - they need it in the form of goals, they need it in the form of creativity and, ultimately, they need it in the form of tactical acumen and management. A fresh face in the dugout could perhaps provide that. It did not work with Alan Shearer back in 2009, but if a boss is brought in who has experience of relegation scraps and who can motivate the players - even to just one victory - then it will be worth it. Just one win would all-but-guarantee the Magpies' survival, but under Carver that looks like a win too many. True, there are not exactly top managers galore queuing up at the job centre waiting to take the Newcastle role on, yet it really has almost got to the stage of: "anyone but Carver." It may be ruthless but when survival is potentially worth upwards of £100million a year once the new TV deal kicks in, it is a no-brainer. Avram Grant, Sven-Göran Eriksson, Gérard Houllier and Bryan Robson may not be inspiring names, but on a short-term basis they could just prove to be saviours for Newcastle United. Someone needs to come in from outside and offer a fresh perspective on things, because it has gone stale at St James' Park.

Much talk in recent weeks has focused on the fact that, under Alan Pardew, Newcastle United found themselves at the halfway point of the season in ninth position in the Premier League, having secured 26 points from 19 matches - and that, had the now-Crystal Palace manager remained at the helm, the Magpies would not find themselves in the perilous position they do now. As true as this may be, it is lazy to suggest fans "got what they deserved" by calling for Pardew's head - because none of them expected to have Carver in the St James' Park dugout instead for the remainder of the season. It is fair to say that, had just about any other person been installed as Newcastle's "head coach", the Magpies would not be staring down the precipice and facing the very-real prospect of playing their football in the Championship next season - but they would be safe in mid-table mediocrity. Just five wins in the 15 games since Pardew left for pastures new would have seen the Magpies reach 41 points, more-than enough for survival, and that would surely have been achieved if a different boss had been installed. Sorry Carver, but it's time to go - for the sake of the future of this very club. For all the latest NUFC News, Views and Transfers make sure to follow WhatCultureNUFC on Twitter and Facebook.