Newcastle give John Carver the boot with Steve McClaren set to be named manager and Lee Clark a potential candidate as No 2

John Carver’s Newcastle misery was ended by Mike Ashley on Tuesday
First-team coach Steve Stone has also parted ways with the club
Carver is set to be replaced by former England manager Steve McClaren
Former Blackpool manager Lee Clark is a candidate for McClaren’s No 2

Published:
21:34 GMT, 9 June 2015

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Updated:
07:07 GMT, 10 June 2015

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Sacked John Carver paid the price for taking Newcastle United to the brink of the Championship as new boss Steve McClaren prepares for a fresh start at St James’ Park.

It was confirmed on Tuesday that head coach Carver and first-team coach Steve Stone had parted ways with the club after a disastrous second half to the season in which they only avoided relegation on the final day.

Sportsmail understands owner Mike Ashley will pay around £1.5million in severance payments to the pair, who had more than five years to run on their contracts.

Sacked John Carver paid the price for taking Newcastle United to the brink of the Championship

Newcastle will name Steve McClaren as Carver’s managerial successor in the next 24 hours

We have also learnt that former Blackpool boss and Newcastle midfielder Lee Clark is in the running to come in as assistant to McClaren, who returned from holiday in Crete on Tuesday and will finalise his move to Tyneside in the next 24 hours.

Clark – who quit the Seasiders last month – has already spoken to managing director Lee Charnley and chief scout Graham Carr and is under serious consideration for a position on the new-look backroom team.

New Gateshead boss Malcolm Crosby is a close friend of McClaren and he will no doubt give Clark a strong reference having been his chief scout at Birmingham and Blackpool. Indeed, McClaren’s relationship with Crosby is thought to be part of a move to strengthen links between Newcastle and their Conference neighbours.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley will have to pay around £1.5million in severance payments

Fitness coach and psychology guru Steve Black – the man behind Jonny Wilkinson’s success – is also in line for a role at St James’. He worked in a freelance capacity for McClaren at Derby County.

McClaren could also return to his old club for coach Paul Simpson and goalkeeping coach Eric Steele, although both remain under contract at the iPro Stadium and it is unlikely the latter will be making the switch. However, Derby’s Steve Round – a coach at Newcastle under Sam Allardyce – will definitely not be following McClaren to the North-East.

But the main item on the agenda when McClaren meets Charnley and Carr this week will be drawing up a list of transfer targets which is headed by QPR’s Charlie Austin.

Former Blackpool manager Lee Clark could work under Steve McClaren as his No 2 at Newcastle

McClaren, who has just returned from holiday in Crete, will finalise his move to Tyneside in the next 24 hours

Carver, meanwhile, was on holiday in the United States when news broke that he would not be kept on.

The 50-year-old had indicated a willingness to work under the incoming McClaren but Newcastle’s hierarchy were concerned about last season’s problems carrying over into next.

Carver presided over their worst run of results in 38 years – eight straight defeats – and alarmed senior figures inside the club with a string of public outbursts, including accusing defender Mike Williamson of getting himself deliberately sent off during the 3-0 defeat at Leicester City last month.

He won just three of his 20 matches and, while injuries did play a part in the team’s demise, there remained a feeling that fortunes would have been better had Alan Pardew still been in charge.

Carver could now target a return to the MLS, where he managed Toronto FC between 2008 and 2009.