Carver accepts pressure is on at Newcastle
Newcastle boss John Carver accepts the pressure is on as his side head into their final six games with their top-flight status still not secured.
The Magpies slipped to a fifth successive Premier League defeat at Liverpool on Monday, a result that did little to ease fears they could yet be sucked into relegation trouble.
Newcastle remain in the relative safety of 13th place with 35 points but the sides below them have been eating into their cushion. They are nine points above the relegation zone but with some awkward-looking games in their run-in, including this weekend’s home clash with Tottenham and matches against fellow battlers Leicester, West Brom and QPR.
Carver said: “We have got six cup finals. We need points. We have got four home games, two away, and it is important when we play those home games our fans are right behind us.”
It looked like being a long night for Newcastle and their fans as Liverpool dominated the early proceedings at Anfield, with Raheem Sterling setting up their 2-0 win with a brilliant ninth-minute opener.
Liverpool spurned several good chances to increase their lead and Newcastle rallied before the break and were controversially denied a penalty when referee Lee Mason surprisingly did not point to the spot after Dejan Lovren appeared to bring down Ayoze Perez.
Perez also had a fine header superbly saved by Simon Mignolet but Liverpool secured victory through Joe Allen after 70 minutes, and Newcastle’s misery was complete when Moussa Sissoko was shown a late red card.
Carver at least felt his side had shown the right spirit after their recent derby loss to Sunderland.
He said: “The pleasing thing from my point of view was our response. We have responded from that dreadful performance against Sunderland. Anything would have been better than what we saw against Sunderland.
“It is still not a win, but there are an awful lot of things that we can take into the final six games.”
Carver, who has overseen just two wins in 14 games since taking over from Alan Pardew, is also fighting for his own future.
Carver feels his side are getting a rough deal from referees, with the Perez penalty claim the latest example.
He said: “I think Liverpool fans understand the game like Newcastle fans do and the reaction of them told me it was a penalty. Even Brendan (Rodgers) said straight away it was a penalty.
“These guys have to do a job – I am not going to be critical in general – I am just talking about one big decision. Contracts and jobs and livelihoods are decided on decisions like that.
“It is always the people on this side of the fence that get punished for that.”
