John Carver said Newcastle face “one of the biggest matches in the club’s history” after defeat to Queens Park Rangers condemned his side to stagger into the final weekend with their Premier League status still in serious doubt.
Only a victory against West Ham United, overseen by the former Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce, will guarantee survival and Carver’s side have now managed a solitary point in their past 10 games. “It’s a do or die situation,” said the manager.
“We shot ourselves in the foot here, but this is now the biggest game this football club has had for a long, long time. One of the biggest in the club’s history. I want the same atmosphere as against West Bromwich Albion a fortnight ago because it could be the fans who get us across the line and keep us in the Premier League. They were in full voice against West Brom and it made a difference.
“A lot of people will say: ‘Why should they?’ Because they want this team in the Premier League. If it gives us that extra five or 10%, then great. We’ll have our postmortem after that once we have stayed up.”
Newcastle had led at Loftus Road, where relegated QPR had not won since 20 December last year, only to capitulate to goals from Matt Phillips and Leroy Fer.
Asked if his players felt overwhelmed by the pressure of playing for the club, Carver said: “It could be. Let’s not forget it’s a huge football club and you have to have that personality to deal with wearing the shirt. But only time will tell. At least it’s still in our hands, and if they want it enough, they can do something about it.
“I saw, against West Brom after the players had had their post-mortem and I had had mine, there was a good reaction. We need that same reaction next week. We have to manage the situation. I’ll try and keep the players away from any press, television or online this week, try and keep it as low key as we can, and focus on the game.”
He added that any potential appeal to remove the three points gained by Hull City at Crystal Palace last month, after which the visitors’ midfielder Jake Livermore failed a drugs test, would be “something for the club to look into, not me”.
The QPR interim manager, Chris Ramsey, felt this victory made up in part for the embarrassment suffered by his club’s travelling supporters at Manchester City the previous week, when a 6-0 defeat had confirmed relegation. He will now await talks with the chairman, Tony Fernandes, to clarify his future role at the club. “I think I have a good chance of getting the job, but things change, don’t they,” said Ramsey. “Hopefully I’ll get the job and spend the summer planning for next season.”
