Newcastle will not panic as they continue their search for a new head coach.
Caretaker boss John Carver urged the club to make an appointment - he has asked to be considered for the vacancy himself - in the wake of Saturday's evening's 2-1 home defeat by Southampton with a fortnight having passed since Alan Pardew's exit for Crystal Palace.
The Magpies have won none of the four games they have played under Carver and have taken just a single Barclays Premier League point from the nine they have contested during that period to slip out of the top half of the table.
However, Press Association Sport understands that managing director Lee Charnley, who along with chief scout Graham Carr has been handed the responsibility of identifying Pardew's replacement by owner Mike Ashley, will not be rushed as he attempts to get the right man.
Charnley has held talks with a series of potential candidates, but sources on Tyneside insisted on Monday that no appointment is imminent despite Carver's plea and the increasing impatience of fans who fear the club's season is drifting.
Club insiders are adamant that they will do their homework before making a formal offer, although their hands could be tied to an extent with several of the leading candidates currently in work.
Former Lyon boss Remi Garde, one of those to have spoken to Newcastle, has indicated he would rather take over during the summer should he be the successful applicant, while the likes of St-Etienne's Christophe Galtier, Ajax counterpart Frank de Boer, Derby manager Steve McClaren and ex-Mainz chief Thomas Tuchel have distanced themselves from the post because of the existing contractual arrangements.
As a result, there is a growing feeling that Newcastle may have to wait to get their man, and that could yet mean a short-term arrangement with Carver having been touted as a stop-gap solution to the problem.
The 50-year-old and his players flew out to Dubai on Sunday for a few days of warm weather training, a trip which was planned long before an FA Cup fourth round defeat at Leicester meant they have no fixture this weekend.
As a result, the current plan is to train back on Tyneside on Saturday morning and then start the process of preparing for the resumption of league action at struggling Hull on January 31, a fixture which could prove hugely significant for both clubs whether or not Pardew's successor is in place by then.
Newcastle won the corresponding fixture last season 4-1, although the game is remembered more for their then manager's head-butt on Tigers midfielder David Meyler, and a repeat this time around would go some of the way towards steadying a ship which has rather slipped its moorings in recent weeks.
Source: PA
