NEWCASTLE UNITED owner Mike Ashley will sit down with managing director Lee Charnley this week to discuss their next move in the search to replace Alan Pardew.

A shortlist of around half a dozen names has been complied with French duo Remi Garde and Christophe Galtier both said to be under consideration.

Reports emerged in France over the weekend that Garde is the frontrunner to take over at St James’ Park and the former Lyon head coach was subsequently installed as the bookmakers’ favourite.

The 48-year-old has been out of work since last summer when he ended a successful three-and-a-half year spell at Stade de Gerland because of personal reasons.

St Etienne head coach Galtier ruled himself out of a move to Tyneside on Friday, but the 48-year-old refused to commit to his current employers beyond the end of the season.

Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka was also linked with the vacant post after his odds shortened over the weekend, but the Spaniard distanced himself from speculation by saying he is “120 per cent” committed to the Teessiders.

The speculation linking Garde, Galtier and Karanka with the post reaffirms Ashley’s desire to see Newcastle led by a head coach rather than a conventional manager, and it is understood the owner and Charnley will step up their attempts to land their man this week.

Caretaker boss John Carver took charge of his second game in the 1-0 defeat to Leicester City in the FA Cup third round and he confirmed his desire to take on the job full time.

It remains to be seen whether the 49-year-old has done enough to impress over the last week, but it isn’t out of the question that Carver and first-team coach Steve Stone will be appointed until the end of the season if the owner’s preferred choice is not available until the summer.

Derby County are confident Steve McClaren will not leave the iPro Stadium to take over at St James’ Park, but it remains to be seen whether the former England manager would reject a formal approach, while Glenn Hoddle's name has also been mentioned.

Leonardo Ulloa’s first half goal was enough to secure Leicester’s passage into the fourth round on Saturday and the 4,000 travelling fans made their feelings clear to Carver and Co at the final whistle.

They were greeted by a loud chorus of boos as they walked towards the away end at the King Power Stadium and the defeat has certainly not done Carver’s cause to be appointed any favours with the fans.

Their reaction did not dissuade Sir Bobby Robson’s former assistant from throwing his hat into the ring on Saturday evening and he also revealed he would be happy to work solely as a head coach with no say in the club’s transfer dealings.

He said: “I have been at this club for almost 25 years, boy and man, and when an opportunity like this comes around to be the manager, I'd be mad not to want it. Head coach, sorry.

“The position is now a head coach’s job. The head coach’s job is to get team ready for the next game. When I was at Toronto I never got involved in transfer dealings.

“If ever there is an opportunity, it's now. So if I don't throw my hat in the ring, I won't get that opportunity again. I know the football club. I know the fans are hurting as I am. But we have to move on.

“There are many people who say I am mad...but that doesn't come into my thinking at all. What an opportunity this is.

“Let's not forget that I have gone through this process with Alan over the last few months and he took some abuse. I took a bit of that so it's actually hardened me up a little bit.”

Carver, who named a weakened line-up for a game in a competition Ashley does not regard as a priority, also accepted the travelling supporters were well within their right to voice their disapproval at the final whistle.

“Would I have booed? Yes I would have done,” Carver said. “I would have paid my money to get down to Leicester over the Christmas period, a lot of money, and if I had been in the stand then I would have booed because I would have been disappointed.

“We are out the FA Cup. We didn't make the fourth round. Nobody wanted to get on in the FA Cup more than me.”