John Carver will remain in caretaker charge of Newcastle until the end of the season, ahead of the hoped-for appointment of Frank de Boer on a permanent basis.
John Carver says he's proud to remain in charge at Newcastle until the end of the season
Newcastle confirmed last night Carver will lead the team as head coach for their remaining 16 games, starting with Saturday's Premier League trip to Hull, having been set the minimum goal of a top-10 finish.
Manging director Lee Charnley is confident of landing highly-rated Ajax boss De Boer and is prepared to wait until the summer to get his man as the 44-year-old battles to land a record fifth consecutive Eredivisie title.
De Boer is keen to test himself in the Premier League after a trophy-laden spell coaching in his homeland. His imminent departure from the Netherlands has been speeded by a hate campaign orchestrated by rival fans after the former Holland international was subjected to more than 1,000 crank calls when his phone number was posted online.
Early front-runner Remi Garde has faded from the picture following talks with the club and Charnley said: "At the beginning of this process, it was my desire and intention to appoint an individual to the position who would be available to start immediately.
"Having now explored at some length the options available the decision has been made to defer the appointment of a permanent head coach until the end of the season.
"It will be a long-term appointment that will play a major role in shaping the future on-field progression of the club and it's vitally important that we get the right individual.
"John has a long history with the club and he has the full support of the board. Our goal for the season of a minimum top-10 finish remains unchanged, and we're confident John will be able to deliver this."
It's a proud day for me. I know what this club means to this city and its people and I believe in the players and the staff I have around me
Newcastle have also considered the merits of making a formal approach to Derby for former England head coach Steve McClaren as they have come under increasing pressure to act in the wake of Alan Pardew leaving to join Premier League rivals Crystal Palace.
The club angrily denied accusations from Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker that the delay in naming a long-term successor helps them avoid having to buy players in the January transfer market, insisting they will not be rushed into making a hasty appointment.
Pardew left to take charge at Selhurst Park at the start of the month, and a clearly frustrated Carver called on the club's hierarchy to end speculation over the post following the recent home defeat to Southampton, the third in a row under his reign.
This latest development in the on-going saga has met with a mixed reaction from supporters. Many fear the temporary appointment will see them drift along in mid-table for the remainder of the campaign, but that could be the least of their worries, as they are still by no means safe from being dragged into the fight to avoid relegation.
Despite sitting 11th, they are a modest eight points above the bottom three, and without a win during Carver's four-game reign, a run of results that helped to all-but end his hopes of leading his hometown club on a permanent basis - although at this stage he is still to be officially ruled out of such a scenario.
The 50-year-old will content himself with a short-term reign that will be nearing five months at the helm when the season ends on May 24.
Carver said: "It's a proud day for me. I know what this club means to this city and its people and I believe in the players and the staff I have around me.
"I'm confident we can deliver exciting and successful football, and I look forward with relish to my role with this great football club."
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