John Carver maintains most managers go entire careers without contending with the myriad challenges that have confronted him during five bruising months in charge of Newcastle.
Indeed at one point during an emotional press briefing last week Alan Pardew’s successor suggested the scale, intensity and diversity of his recent traumas have been uniquely grim. “I don’t think any other manager would have had to deal with everything I’ve had to deal with in their whole career,” he said. “And certainly not in five months.”
His short-term tenure concludes with Sunday’s game against West Ham at St James’ Park, a match Newcastle may need to win in order to remain in the Premier League.
“I hope I’m smiling at 5pm,” said Carver. “But in a really strange way I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. I really have. I think I got hardened up a little bit when Alan [Pardew] was here and he took a bit of abuse. I got used to it. I’m definitely a stronger person and better for it.
“Whatever happens after Sunday I’ll be better for it. If had the chance again, I’d do exactly the same and say: ‘Yes, I want this job.’ I’d just like to think I’d have a little bit more rub of the green, a little bit more luck and a little bit more fortune because the biggest thing is that I’ve thrown every single minute of my life into this .
“I’ve sacrificed so many things. I’ve sacrificed my family life, my social life – I don’t mind that, because I understand how big this job is. But it’s very difficult when you’re making those sacrifices to then take the abuse you get. I’d do it again, though.”
The brutal reality is that after steering Newcastle from midtable safety to the brink of relegation Carver is unlikely to be offered any managerial second chances. Renowned as a fine coach, he inherited a dangerously understaffed squad and was then hit by a major injury crisis exacerbated by a raft of suspensions. Along the way, abuse from always cynical Newcastle fans has, at times, reached deeply unpleasant proportions and he has struggled to motivate an underachieving dressing room.
There have been rifts with key players and it is clear Carver does not entirely trust certain senior professionals. “I will prepare the players as best I can but once they cross the line it’s out of my hands,” he said. “Steve Bruce says the worst part of the manager’s job is that 90 minutes during the game and he’s right. It’s out of your control. But I’ve got something up my sleeve for my team talk.”
On an afternoon likely to be played out against a backdrop of post-match supporter protests against Mike Ashley’s ownership of the club and newly revived rumours that the Derby manager, Steve McClaren, will shortly replace him, Carver is strongly tempted to start Papiss Cissé, Newcastle’s leading scorer, in attack. He is conscious, however, that medical experts had thought it is unlikely the Senegal striker would play again this season after undergoing recent knee surgery.
“I’d written Papiss off for this season after what he’s been through and it was a big surprise when he put himself up for the fight,” he said. “I think most of us saw that he wasn’t right when he came off the bench at QPR last weekend but he’s had another week of training and he has to take a lot of credit for putting his hand up and saying he wanted to be selected. I’d be a fool not to consider starting Papiss.”
