EMBATTLED boss John Carver is determined to ignore fresh talk about his successor by keeping Newcastle United in the Premier League after rivals Sunderland piled even more pressure on the caretaker coach.

The crisis-torn club suffered a further distraction yesterday when St James' Park sources denied there had been a heated training ground bust-up between Daryl Janmaat and Papiss Cisse just days after Carver was slammed for attending a charity golf day in such an important week.

It also seems likely that Newcastle's annual lap of honour will be scrapped this Sunday, with frustrated supporters groups planning to protest inside St James' Park after the final whistle against West Ham United.

Sunderland’s hard-earned goalless draw at Arsenal on Wednesday means it can only be either the Magpies or Hull City who will join Queens Park Rangers and Burnley in the Championship next season.

Newcastle need to defeat Sam Allardyce’s West Ham or risk the chance of being leapfrogged by Hull if Steve Bruce can oversee a victory over Manchester United at the KC Stadium.

And Carver – widely criticised by fans - does not want to even consider what is going through the minds of West Ham’s management team, with Allardyce a much disliked former manager on Tyneside and his assistant Neil McDonald, the former Newcastle defender, a respected coach.

Carver said: “No matter who it is, and I know Sam has been the manager here and Neil McDonald was at the club, who is a good friend of mine, you want to win games. No matter who you’re playing against, and even when people are saying there’s nothing at stake, you still want to win. Your pride tells you that.

“This weekend is going to be no different, but I’m not bothered about what he’s thinking or who is coming here. I’m just bothered about us, I really am. I’ve not spoken to anyone. Neil has sent me a text, but I’ve not even replied to him. He’s my mate, but I’m not interested in West Ham United and Sam.”

Carver had hoped to impress during his time in charge but the supporters have turned against him for the way we has handled certain situations; he was hammered at the beginning of the week for attending a charity golf day and also for giving his players two days off after the defeat to QPR.

That loss at Loftus Road was Newcastle’s ninth from ten matches and the only exception was the draw at home to West Brom. Carver has only won two of his 14 games since taking from Alan Pardew at the turn of the year.

The woeful record – albeit with an extensive absentees list and a relatively small squad – means it is highly unlikely he will be still in the job at the start of next season.

And there has been fresh uncertainty surrounding the futures of two of the leading candidates for the job, with Watford’s Slavisa Jokanovic and Derby’s Steve McClaren uncertain whether they will remain in charge at Vicarage Road and the iPro Stadium respectively.

But Carver, a boyhood Newcastle fan desperate to help the club survive, is not concerned with what owner Mike Ashley is thinking ahead of the club’s biggest game since relegation in 2009.

The head coach said: “I don’t really know to be honest. He wasn’t there last weekend and he still got some stick didn’t he? It wouldn’t bother me at all if he came, but if he doesn’t come, I’m sure he will phone me beforehand, and if he does come, I’m sure he’ll come and see me before the game.

“But I really don’t know what his plans are. I can’t decide what Mike’s going to do. All I can decide is what we’re going to do on Sunday.”

Sunday could see the return of Mike Williamson to the defence for the first time since Carver accused him of deliberately getting himself sent off at Leicester City. The centre-back has not commented ahead of his availability so it is unclear how he feels, but Carver is keen to forget.

“I’ve shaken hands with Mike and that’s forgotton,” said Carver. “I’m like that. I can fall out with someone one day and then be their best friend the next. Look at Craig Bellamy a few years ago.

“That’s just the way I am. I don’t hold a grudge and that’s important. I’ll say what I have to say, as I did with Mike, but then I’ll clear the slate.”

Jonas Gutierrez was asked to play left-back at QPR and the return of Williamson creates an opening to field Paul Dummett in his preferred full-back slot.

Carver, hinting that experience will be key, said: “There’s a lot of things to think about in terms of the team, but it’s going to be important to pick the kind of characters that can handle the game.

“Being able to handle the situation is going to be absolutely crucial. It’s going to be so important that the players can deal with whatever is thrown at them.”

Newcastle hope that Siem De Jong and Cisse will show no ill-effects to training this week by lining up against the Hammers, which would provide a timely boost in an attacking sense in the bid to avoid the drop.

There were suggestions on social media that Cisse and Janmaat had clashed but it is said to have been a mere exchange of words rather than anything more serious.