JOHN CARVER thinks there will be movement in Newcastle United’s search for a new head coach after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Southampton at St James’ Park.

The Magpies, who had levelled just before half-time through a fortuitous goal from Yoan Gouffran, were undone by two goals from Holland international Eljero Elia; one in each half.

Newcastle’s defeat leaves Carver coming to terms with a failure to win any of his four matches since taking over the reins following Alan Pardew’s departure to Crystal Palace on January 3.

The club’s managing director Lee Charnley is looking at options to succeed Pardew, with Carver hoping to be given the job until the end of the season. Frenchman Remi Garde is among the front runners for the post.

Carver, who takes the players to Dubai today with Newcastle not due to return to action until the trip to Hull on January 31, said: “Everybody is not sure what is going on. They’re just sitting there waiting for it and I think, after this result, the decision will be made.

“They (the board) have to do something about it, whether it’s me or somebody else. They’re almost three weeks in to the process now and I know for a fact they’ve been working hard behind the scenes. They’ve got to do something about it."

But Geordie-boy Carver, 50, is adamant he can still lead brighter times back to Tyneside.

He said: “I know I can. I know the work that we’ve done and how we’ve played. We’ve come up against a side who are sitting third in the Premier League and I thought we dominated the game. We’ve just got to have a little more ambition in the final third.”