Newcastle United’s players have taken to calling Fabricio Coloccini gaffer in the wake of erroneous reports that the club captain and centre-half was being lined up to be become their new manager after Alan Pardew’s defection to Crystal Palace.
Coloccini played as if he really had the responsibilities of management on his shoulders, enduring one of his poorest performances in a Newcastle shirt as Burnley clinched a 3-3 draw at St James’ Park and, afterwards, he admitted the past few days had been difficult for everyone concerned following Pardew’s departure.
John Carver has assumed caretaker charge but Coloccini remains adamant he and his team-mates are fully behind Pardew’s former assistant and his support staff of Steve Stone and Peter Beardsley.
That trio will be in charge of Saturday’s trip to Leicester for an FA Cup third-round tie and possibly beyond as Mike Ashley, Newcastle’s owner, compiles a managerial shortlist from his holiday sunbed in Barbados.
It is a difficult situation,” said Coloccini. “But John Carver is with us. He has the experience to take the job. Of course, it is difficult but it has not affected the team. When you go on the field you have to leave all the problems behind you.”
The 32-year-old said he had no immediate management ambitions of his own. “I am a football player now and want to play for a few years more. I want to enjoy being on the pitch. It’s not for now.”
Carver’s audition – Sir Bobby Robson’s one-time Newcastle sidekick has ambitions to return to management in his own right – looked to be going well after a good start but Burnley recovered from the first-half loss of three players to illness and injury to enhance their Premier League survival chances by coming from behind three times.
“It was certainly an interesting day at the office,” said Sean Dyche. “I’ve never experienced three players having to go off so quickly but I thought we dealt with that fantastically well. I couldn’t be more proud of my team. In the end, a point was probably the least we deserved. How we didn’t come away with a win is certainly a head-scratcher – and it just shows you the unshakeable desire and belief the players have in each other. I’ve always been cautiously optimistic about staying up. I have total belief in the players and in what we do.”
