John Carver made one call to release both
The former Newcastle United duo of Ryan Taylor and Jonas Gutierrez have criticised the North East club about the way they handled their release.
Both players departed the club on Monday, following a phone call from interim manager John Carver, who asked Taylor to pass the phone to his team-mate, in order to break the news.
Newcastle retained their Premier League status on the final day of the season, following a 2-0 win over West Ham United at St James Park.
And Taylor, who has been plagued by injuries since signing from Wigan Athletic in 2009, revealed his shock at the way the club handled the departure.
“John Carver rang me and told me the club weren’t going to offer me a new deal,” Taylor told Sky Sports News.
“Then he asked me to pass the phone to Jonas, which was unbelievable.”
Argentine midfielder Gutierrez, who recovered from testicular cancer to net the second goal in the victory over the Hammers, spent seven years at the Magpies, becoming a fan favourite in the process.
The 31-year-old stated his opinion on the matter: “I did not expect to be offered a new contract and it is not about that, because you have to move on.
“I can understand the football issues and those type of things but, more important for me, is that they can pick up the phone and call me or call my agent, and say ‘listen, thank you but we are going to release you and it is going to be OK’. That is more the way.”
Carver’s tough choice:
With Carver only in an interim capacity, and unlikely to get the job on a full-time basis, Taylor sympathies with Carver, who was under order to tell the pair via phone.
“He was made to do it and he obviously was upset in doing it.
“I spoke to him and he seemed upset about telling two good pros who were there for a long time ‘look, it has come to an end’.
“I can’t really blame John, because he is under instructions on what to do.”
Coaching course:
Both Taylor and Gutierrez are currently studying for coaching badges in Belfast this week, studying to obtain a UEFA qualification.
by Ben Reardon
