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John Carver looks forward to next manager’s job to ‘Build something around my philosophy and theories’

4 years ago
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Sky Sports News have spoken to John Carver about what’s it like to be an out of work manager.

As well as the former Newcastle United manager / assistant, they also talked to Gus Poyet, Tony Pulis, (former Newcastle central defender) Peter Jackson and Dave Hockaday.

Sky Sports asking the questions of: What affected them the most in the job? What is it really like to be under such scrutiny? And are they still looking for one more shot in the game?

John Carver got his big chance when Mike Ashley amazingly gave him the Newcastle United manager’s job after Alan Pardew walked out in December 2014, Carver given the job as an interim manager / head coach, with him set to get it permanently so long as he didn’t mess up…

It was an interesting time…John Carver almost achieved the impossible, relegating NUFC from what looked a completely safe position when he took over. In his half season, Newcastle won only two of their first 18 Premier League games and it was left to Jonas Gutierrez to inspire Newcastle to victory against West Ham on the final day, to finally ensure PL safety.

Carver’s greatest achievement was a 3-0 win at Steve Bruce’s Hull and actually there are massive parallels with Steve Bruce’s Head Coaching at St James Park, John Carver had Newcastle in relegation form with only three wins in 19 PL games, whilst Steve Bruce also ended last season with NUFC in relegation form, third worst form in the division with only four wins in the final 20 PL games.

Since his sacking at Newcastle United, even Mike Ashley couldn’t give John Carver the job permanently after that shocking half season, Carver has only had an eight month spell in management with Omonia in Cyprus, sacked in February 2017. He then later teamed up again with Alan Pardew at West Brom, the pair of them relegating the Baggies thanks to only one PL win in over four months, sacked in April 2018 along with Pardew.

Now 28 months later, John Carver is ready for another try at management: ‘The project I’d like to be involved in now is one where I would go in as manager and have a chance to put my stamp down and build something around my philosophy and theories.’

Newcastle fans would be interested to see that, after John Carver’s time at NUFC, his confrontational attitude with fans at times and some truly embarrassing press conference when in charge. Repeatedly saying anything he could to deflect criticism from Mike Ashley and coming out with some absolute classic claims that defied belief and reality.

Maybe the best of all was when he declared: ‘I still think I’m the best coach in the Premier League’, this was after losing eight PL matches in a row to leave Newcastle on the brink of relegation with three matches to go.

John Carver telling Sky Sports he thinks that this particular comment might have held back his managerial opportunities since then…

“I think it was taken out of context, for sure. When I said it, I remembered the whole room, all the heads disappeared, and they started scribbling away, so I knew I touched on something.

“You’ve just got to think about what you’re saying before you say it. I felt stung by it, and I still do. I still think people might use that against me. If you don’t know me, my personality or character, I can come across as quite arrogant, and the one thing I’m not is arrogant. I said it because we all had to believe that if I was coming up against Jose [Mourinho], I could compete against him. That was my thought process. Everybody in the world knew that I wasn’t [arrogant] and I am not, but you have to believe it.

“There is more pressure on you when you are a caretaker.

“Every time you play a game it’s an interview and you have to win the game. The players know you as the assistant, that’s the hardest thing. If you do it a few times, people see you as a caretaker.

“That’s why when it all came to an end at West Brom, I said to Alan Pardew I wasn’t staying. I’d done it too many times and wasn’t doing it again. I’d seen the pitfalls of being a caretaker and also seen success rate when I was the main man.

“The project I’d like to be involved in now is one where I would go in as manager and have a chance to put my stamp down and build something around my philosophy and theories.”

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