Newcastle United boss John Carver can understand fans turning on the players after their 3-0 defeat to Leicester City.

Newcastle were booed off the field by their increasingly angry fans, some of whom held up a banner accusing the team of not trying. Some of the players were later jeered as "cowards" as they boarded the team bus on their way out of the stadium.

Carver, who has won just two of 16 games since succeeding Alan Pardew, said: "I can't disagree with them. I know some of them went over at full-time and the fans had a go, and more or less said, 'We don't want to see you'.

"If I was sitting in the stand with them I would be doing the same thing.

"We are a soft touch. We are a soft touch when the ball comes into the box because we are not prepared to put our heads on it.

"We can talk and talk - We need to grow up and we need to accept it. The ones that don't want to grow up and accept it can stay at home."