Carver ignores relegation rivals
Beleaguered Newcastle head coach John Carver has told his players to forget about what their relegation rivals are doing as they attempt to drag themselves out of trouble.
The Magpies will run out against West Brom at St James' Park on Saturday having gone into the weekend sitting just two points clear of the Barclays Premier League drop zone after a run of eight successive defeats.
Their form, coupled with growing tide of pessimism surrounding the club after last weekend's deeply damaging 3-0 reverse at Leicester, has catapulted them into the thick of a survival scrap as they, derby rivals Sunderland and Hull all battle to keep their heads above water along with bottom two Burnley and QPR.
However, Carver insists he and his players simply have to concentrate on what they can affect.
He said: "We're in a position where we can affect what happens. It's in our hands. We're not in the bottom three as it stands and there are three games left.
"I can't afford - and neither can the players - to worry about what everybody else is doing. I didn't even watch Hull's game against Arsenal the other night because I can't affect that.
"I'm going to put all my energy and effort into affecting what I can try to affect. That is this football team for the next three weeks.
"I'm not bothered about what everybody else does. It's about what we try to do."
In the circumstances, victory over West Brom - Newcastle last collected three points against Aston Villa on February 28 - would represent a major boost, and Carver is keen not to waste time.
He said: "The earlier you get the results, the better."
That, however, may prove far from straightforward with the Baggies having eased to the 40-point mark with last weekend's 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Indeed, Tony Pulis' men are unbeaten in three games and have collected seven points along the way and Carver, who will be without suspended duo Mike Williamson and Daryl Janmaat and the injured Siem de Jong, is under no illusions as he prepares for a potentially season-defining encounter.
He said: "It will be a tight game - I don't think there will be many goals in it, judging our record and theirs. We need to find a way to win the game."
Papiss Cisse could return after completing a seven-match ban for spitting at Manchester United defender Jonny Evans, although he has been nursing a knee problem which may limit his involvement.
Pulis has defended Carver and insisted he must show self-confidence in their relegation battle.
The Magpies chief claimed he was the best coach in the division on Thursday, despite losing eight successive games.
Albion go to St James' Park on Saturday with Newcastle just two points above the bottom three.
Carver has been mocked since replacing Alan Pardew in January, with fans turning on him and the team because of their wretched form, but Pulis believes he has to be bullish.
Pulis said: "We all have that self-confidence and you have got to have self-confidence. He has found himself in a very difficult situation. When he took over probably everyone thought they were safe and they've just got dragged into it.
"The big thing about football is you should never take anything for granted because it could turn around and kick you in the backside.
"They have three games to pick some points up and one of those games is against us. We have a responsibility to everyone in the league to give it our best."
Source: PAR
