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John Carver: Sir Bobby Robson will be by my side in Newcastle dugout

Management can be are there any canada goose outlet stores a lonely business but John Carver will feel anything but isolated when he steps into the limelight as Newcastle United’s caretaker coach on New Year’s Day. “I’m a Catholic and I believe Sir Bobby Robson will be looking down on me, I really do,” said Alan Pardew’s former assistant. “He’ll be there with us. He will be in the technical area with us.”

Although it was Ruud Gullit who originally plucked Carver from an obscure junior coaching role, Robson became his principal mentor when he appointed him as his No2 at St James’ Park. Given that history, it was no surprise that Carver turned to his old boss for inspiration as he prepared for Newcastle’s home game against Burnley on Thursday afternoon.

“I never stop thinking about Sir Bobby and I started reading his autobiography last night,” said the 49-year-old Geordie. “There was a message from him on the front of the book – ‘Thanks for a fantastic, can i wash my canada goose jacket successful five years, it should have been a lot longer, cheers, Bobby.’ When he gave me that book Sir Bobby said to me: ‘You do realise how big this football club is and, if you ever get an opportunity to manage it, don’t be scared of it, enjoy it and take it with both hands.’ He definitely saw me as a future Newcastle manager, so I’m going to take it with both hands.

“I think this is the best football club in the world. Whether it’s the most successful or the biggest doesn’t matter but, in my eyes, it’s the best. For me to be in this position as a local lad is an absolute honour. It’s not something which frightens me.”

With Peter Beardsley having been moved up from his role as reserve team manager to join Steve Stone in assisting him with the first-team squad, Carver has a strong support network as he auditions to become Pardew’s full-time replacement.

The only concern is that his European vision may buy canada goose jacket online cheap be a little bold for the Newcastle owner Mike Ashley’s tastes. “My ambition is definitely still the same as Sir Bobby’s, without a shadow of canada goose coat 1000 calorie a doubt,” said Carver. “Any player would snap your hand off authentic canada goose outlet online to play in the Champions League. If a player leaves, it’s usually because they can’t get Champions League football so more about mycanadagoosejacket, if we haven’t got that ambition to get there, then we’re all wasting our time, in my opinion. It’s no good just turning up thinking mediocrity is good enough. Let’s go and win every game if we black canada goose parka can.”

With Ashley currently on holiday in Barbados, Carver was informed black canada goose parka of his elevation to caretaker during a “brief” telephone call with Lee Charnley, Newcastle’s managing, director on Monday night in the wake of Pardew’s defection to Crystal Palace.

“I haven’t had a great deal to do with Mike in the past,” said Carver. “On the few occasions I’ve met him, he’s always been really pleasant though. best ideas about canada goose outlet on pinterest I actually did spend a little time in his [Sports Direct] factory a few weeks ago. authentic canada goose outlet online I was visiting a friend in Mansfield. He took me for a few clothes because I was looking like a tramp and I was quite surprised how big it was. I never bought anything though.”

Wins against Burnley, and at Leicester in the FA Cup, could see Carver shopping for expensive suits. Although he has spent most of his career as a No2 – at Leeds, Sheffield United and Plymouth, as well as Newcastle – he did have a stint in charge of the MLS side Toronto. “I loved managing in Canada, I really did,” he said. “If you asked 100 assistant managers, I think 99.9% would say they want to manage.”

It seems he has the dressing room on his side. “If we play against Burnley like we’ve trained today we’re going to be OK,” said Carver. “Everybody was upbeat, everybody was buoyant and a lot of players have come up to me and ’we’ve best canada goose jacket review got your back’. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

He must cope without the suspended Papiss Cissé whose three game ban for elbowing Everton’s Seamus Coleman last Sunday will be followed by the striker’s absence for the Africa Cup of Nations. In view of this Carver – who accepted Cissé’s apology – has permitted Newcastle’s leading scorer to fly home to Senegal prior to the tournament.

On a day when Steve Bruce and Tony Pulis distanced themselves from the vacancy, Newcastle sources suggested neither man had been under consideration. The club are currently compiling a shortlist of continental style “head coaches”. It does not include Tim Sherwood but Derby’s Steve McClaren, St-Etienne’s Christophe Galtier and Besiktas’s Slaven Bilic are among those who could potentially meet Ashley’s criteria.